Early in the Morning

The Easter Sunrise Service was scheduled for 6:30a. My wife was up at 4:45a to get ready. My alarm was set for 5:40a, but I never made it that far. I woke up with my wife at 4:45a, my mind started working, and I could not get back to sleep. I begin to think of all the things I had to do that day. Then I stopped, and began to think of all that Jesus did on such a day so long ago.

The Scriptures tell us that - on the night before He was crucified - Jesus was "in anguish." When He prayed, "His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." Then, "when He rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, He found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow" (Luke 22:44-45). Soon after that, Jesus was arrested and imprisoned. I wonder how Jesus slept the night before He knew He would be crucified?

What about Abraham? "God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about"" (Genesis 22:2). The next verse then tells us that "early the next morning" Abraham got up, saddled the donkey, got some firewood and his son and went to do what the Lord told him to do? So how do you think Abraham slept that night?

How difficult it is for us to get our minds off of ourselves ... our plans, our work, our time. The next time you have trouble sleeping with your head so full of all the things you have to do, think of those like Abraham and Jesus. Perhaps you will find that - by comparison - your plans just aren't that significant.