Sometimes Insomnia is From That Dreaded Menopause, Other Times, It's Class Time with GOD.

     Going to bed every night is always a battle for me. It's the time of day I hate the most.  Falling asleep is not usually a problem, but staying asleep never happens.  In fact, the only time I can remember it happening in the last decade or so was on my way to CA with my son.  We drove for 15 hours on day one, and I took something to help me sleep.  I remember laying down, then minutes later, or so it seems, Joe was waking me up to get ready to hit the road, again.  I hadn't even moved my positioning on the bed from the time I laid my head down on the pillow.  Because I don't want to get "addicted" to a sleep aid, most nights are just a battle ground between me and GOD.  I've tried every trick in the book, but it's the time I have the best conversations with GOD.  

     Sometimes, during those insomniac times, GOD will  open my spiritual eyes to a truth inside His Word but outside the church box.  After He shows me something, it's during that time that I have the most faith that what I've learned is "earth shattering."  At that time, He gives me the faith to believe it is from Him directly, because He proves that it fits historically, and how it reflex His character and tradition from the Hebrew Scriptures and His Biblical heroes. 

   Eventually, I'll fall asleep and wake up the next morning, and without exception, GOLIATH shows up to torment me.   What did Goliath do? He challenged the army of the LORD. He used his great height, might, fortitude and military training to intimidate the soldiers.  There will always be a Goliath to your faith, one who will intimidate and attack it.  Another example a Sennacherib.  If Goliath doesn't defeat you, Sennacherib will try.  Sennacherib used his historical military triumphs to invoke fear and take Judah's eyes off what the LORD had been constantly teaching them.   What did the King of Judah do? He laid prostate before the LORD and showed the threats to the LORD at the Temple. Because King  Hezekiah took his fear to the proper place, GOD answered Sennacherib and let him know just Who granted him his past victories. He also prophesied about Sennacherib future and demise at the hand of his own sons.  

     

     GOD will isolate His chosen so they learn to hear only from Him, because the world is full of Goliath's and Sennacherib's.  GOD watched over David while he was the rejected brother. All of that isolation taught David to hear only the voice of YHVH instead of paying more attention to tradition and history.  Many Rabbinic teachings suggest that David wasn't a full bred of Jesse and his wife, and that was why he wasn't invited to the original dinner with the Seer Samuel. They teach he may have been the son of a harlot, concubine, or even adulterous affair of Jesse's wife. He was thought of as a second-hand son. He was number eight and as many of you know, eight is the Hebrew number that stands for new beginnings.

    GOD will choose a person whose beloveds and the world will reject.  He will watch over that rejected person and open his/her eyes to teachings that surpass tradition and aren't limited to the church box. Then GOD will give that person a Supernatural faith like He gave to David to believe that GOD will do it. While that man/woman of faith is waiting for GOD to do what He showed them, history, tradition, and naysayers will do everything they can to defeat that person.    Does this describe you? Too many people will settle for mediocre because it's comfortable, or they don't want to look like a freak  Like Terah, Abram's father, they are okay with "settling in Haran," halfway to the destination.  After that, GOD passes the torch on to another, who He knows will complete the journey.  The rest of the way is the most arduous part of the journey.  It's the road less traveled.  

     The Valley of Achor is what is between us and the promise land, and there's not a more depressing place than the Valley of Achor.  That's when GOD has to step in and give us a push.  There are very few fearful/doubting "Biblical" heroes out there who don't battle time, tradition, and naysayers. Those who hear from God will let the world chase them off the straight and narrow path and on to a  battlefield. They will put on Saul's Armor until they realize, Saul's armor doesn't fit them.  It is then they have to strip down and go with naked and blind faith.  It's not an easy life, but there isn't a Bible hero written about who took the easier path.  It's a lonely road, and not all can bear the isolation.  If you are on such an empty path, note this: It may seem empty now, but if you know GOD spoke to you during those quiet hours when all the world was asleep, He kept you awake because GOD whispers while the whole world screams during waking hours.