Daily Devotional for January 3, 2023
God in the Night
Adrianna didn’t want her dad to leave. She wished he didn’t have to work nights.
She frowned when he told her it was time to get ready for bed.
She got into her pajamas and brushed her teeth. When she went to her bedroom, she found her dad there holding a framed picture.
“What’s that?” asked Adrianna.
“I thought you might like to have this,” said Dad, setting the picture on the table next to Adrianna’s bed. “Who do you see in the picture?”
“Jesus and a bunch of kids.”
Dad nodded toward Adrianna’s bed, and she quickly climbed into it. Dad knelt down beside it, his gaze on the picture. “This can help you remember that Jesus is always with you. He’s with you in the night, when you get a case of the scaries.”
Adrianna frowned. “I want you to be here. I want you to come in when I have a bad dream.”
“I know. But that’s not happening right now.” Dad touched her lightly on the head. “I need to go to work, but you’ll still have your mom. And you’ll have Jesus.” He nodded toward the picture. “The Bible talks about how we can cry out to God in the night,” Dad said. “Many people did that in the Bible. When they felt scared or hurt, they cried out to God because they knew He was there.”
“What if He’s sleeping?” Adrianna asked. “You always wake up when I need you.”
“God doesn’t sleep,” Dad said.
“What if He’s busy? You always tell me that you’ll come even if you’re busy.”
Dad smiled. “God doesn’t get too busy to take care of us, sweetheart. Jesus promises to always be with those who trust in Him and take care of them. Nothing will stop Him from doing that.”
“I wish you could be here too,” said Adrianna.
“I know,” Dad said. “I’ll come back soon. While I’m gone, try crying out to God when you’re scared in the night, okay?”
“Okay.” Adrianna turned to look at the picture. “Dad? Before you leave, can you put this picture on my wall so I can see it better? I want to remember that Jesus is always with me.”
Dad nodded. “I’ll go get a hammer.”
-Emily Acker
How about you?
Do you ever wake up afraid in the night? Do you find it hard to fall asleep because of all that is in your head? Have you tried crying out to God? If you know Jesus, He is with you, day and night. You can turn to Him anytime you feel afraid or alone. He is always there, and He will hear you and help you. You can sleep peacefully in His care.
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