The other night Sherwood’s dad walked by Sherwood’s bed-
room and saw that the light was still on. He looked in, thinking Sherwood may be reading, but he was in bed, covered up with his eyes wide open! Dad said, “What’s wrong? You should be asleep!” Sherwood said, “I’m afraid to sleep. I just lie here awake most
of the night.” Dad asked, “What are you afraid of?” Sherwood told him that
he was afraid of what might happen while he slept. If something bad happened while he slept, he could not try to help. A big tear rolled down Sherwood’s cheek, and his dad grabbed him and hugged him. “I’m afraid it’s going to get worse,” Sherwood said, “What if you and Mom are asleep? Who’s going to take care of me if something bad happens?”
Dad said, “Let’s see what the Bible says about the problem. We’ll look it up right now.
dwell in safety.” We can all sleep well because our God, who loves us, never sleeps or is too busy to watch over us. And remember Psalm 23? The Lord’s my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. “Sherwood, when we are asleep or awake, Our Heavenly Father watches over us, so sleep in peace,” his dad said.
God is With You!
God is With You! By M. D. Bult With Illustrations by Anna Campbell Bult
Read the book of Jonah from the Bible. (It’s only four chapters long; you can read it all in one sitting, or you can break it up and read just one chapter a day.) It is easy to forget that God is always with us, ever watching over us. I certainly forget often. Whenever I behave un-
kindly toward a sibling, disrespect my parents, or even think rude thoughts about someone, I have forgotten that the Creator of the universe, my Heavenly Father, is present with me. God knows our every thought, word, and action. He sees us in our best moments and in our worst ones, and He is deeply saddened when we sin. Jonah tried to hide from God. He thought that if he journeyed far enough, he could escape
from God’s reaches and be forever free to do whatever he pleased. Before long Jonah real- ized he had been mistaken. No one can escape God! God is omnipresent (everywhere)! Thankfully, God was merciful to Jonah – just as He is merciful to you and me when we sin.
By His sovereign power, God brought Jonah exactly where he needed to go, and He will do the same with us.
Summertime is nearly here! Most likely, your family plans to take at least one vacation trip over the next few months. Perhaps you will spend a week at the beach with your grandparents. Maybe you will ride up to the mountains for a relaxing retreat. You might even spend a few days without your parents at a summer camp! Whether you are trekking cross-country this summer or simply traveling to the next town, I hope you will remember that your Heavenly Father is with you. He is watching you, guiding you, protecting you. That’s right. Just as God protected Jonah from the storm by sending a giant fish to swallow him, God will protect you when
16 The Associate Reformed Presbyterian
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