“ When thou liest down, thou shall not be afraid, yea, thou shall lie down and thy sleep shall be sweet.” Proverbs 3:24

My dear friend, do you feel change in your health, and does it look as though you will go to bed because you are sick? Fear not! Go to bed with assurance in your heart, repeating that sweet promise: ‘When thou liest down, be not afraid.” When you go to sleep, let this verse waft under and over your bed.

We cannot guard ourselves while we sleep, but the Lord will keep watch over us all night long. Those who enjoy the protection of the Lord are safer than the kings and queens in their palaces. If all our worries sleep with us, we will still awake with rest and energy, unlike the ‘jealous’ ones who toss and turn in their beds.

If we still have anything that bothers us, it is only a dream. It is not real! It will not stay in our memory! It is good to sleep this way.

When Peter was on death row, waiting to be executed by King Herod, he was sleeping so peacefully he did not recognize the angel visiting him. The angel had to kick him to wake him up!

To enjoy sweet sleep, we need to live the sweet life, have a sweet character, sweet mediation and sweet love.

Lately the Middle East has been in the news more than any other region. For the last few weeks the focus has been on Egypt. What took place there has swept like a wildfire through the other Arab nations. They are trying to copy what Egypt has done.

Many of you have asked for my opinion about this, due to my background and involvement in the Middle East. My answer always is; no matter what our personal opinion is, God is still in charge. We might not like what is taking place, but who are we to judge the judge of the whole world? He is sovereign. Nothing takes place without his permission. Sometimes it is not his perfect will, but his permissive will. So, we have to say: Thy perfect will be done.

We cannot help but know that Egypt is very important to America, the west and Israel. With the military in charge, the old constitution is abolished and a date set for election of a new president. This is our role as a church; to pray that God will guide the Egyptians in choosing the right man to lead this all important nation. Many, along with our president, see the importance of this. Some feel that the Muslim Brotherhood is more qualified and organized to take the role of leadership. Egyptian history tells us that former presidents Jamal Abdulnasser, Anwar Sadat and Husni Mubarak did not give this group freedom. If the Muslim Brotherhood takes over the government, it will not be good for America, Israel or the world. The second in command in Al Qaida is a member of this group. So, your prayers and mine are very important.

When I was in Egypt in October 1981, and Sadat was assassinated, I felt that Egypt would no longer have the power to control the Arabs in the Middle East, as Abdulnasser did. We know that Egypt is the ‘king of the south’, and evil will come from the ‘king of the north’, against God’s land and God’s city, Israel and Jerusalem.

My faith is that the Lord will place the right people in authority in Egypt.