Experience the Peace of Jesus Above Everything as You Sleep Tonight

hello and welcome to this sleep story from abide I'm James I'm so glad you've chosen to join me in hearing this story titled Jesus above everything in tonight's meditation based on Psalm 73 verses 25 and 26. we will be exploring what it means for us to place Jesus above everything that he may be our greatest desire the one who was first and foremost in our lives the one who we run to when we are low the one we praise when we have joy our first recourse instead of our last resort we will be discovering how it is possible to desire him over all other loves the scripture that will be guiding us tonight is from Psalm 73 verses 25 and 26 written by ASAP whom have I in heaven but you and there is nothing on Earth that I desire besides you My Flesh and my heart May Fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever We Are Made In His Image and we are made for Union with him we were made to walk in the garden with him and he has created us with many valid needs as humans but he is above all we will be experiencing this theme tonight through dwelling on certain Psalms and the words of Jesus himself we will be letting him touch our hearts and reveal his truth to us so we can journey through this life relying on him most of all and having our needs met in the ways he has designed first of all I invite you to make yourself comfortable and cozy under the covers let your head and neck grow heavy and sink into the soft pillows release the stresses and worries of the day and let go of any tension that has collected your face and jaw breathe gently and as you let the peace of God enfold you inhale and hold exhale and release take a few more breaths like this and feel yourself surrendering your cares to him knowing he cares deeply for you everything that matters to you matters to your father in Heaven still your mind by bringing your attention to your breathing rhythm often when our minds are busy and going to and fro bringing your focus to something very simple like the wind gently moving a tree branch outside your window or the soothing pattern of your breathing can start to calm your mind for the next few moments simply listen to your own natural inhalations and exhalations like the tidal waves at the ocean shore in and out in feel your belly rise and fall feel your mind calming down and your body entering into deep rest keep your attention on this for as long as you want I also invite you to ask the holy spirit to guide you he has given you the breath in your lungs and he sustains your very being by his power and Grace fresh oxygen is nourishing your body because he is making it do so breathe out your thanks to him for such love and mercy he doesn't leave you to breathe on your own he is completely invested doing even the most basic parts of life with you what a marvelous and loving Creator we have let me ask God to bless and guide our time together dear heavenly father there is no one like you none in all the heavens or on the Earth there is no one more glorious or more wonderful more kind or more gentle more caring or more powerful than you I pray that you would gently draw this listener's full attention and affection toward you tonight lead their focus away from the troubles that might seem insurmountable and to Ward you they're all sufficient Lord and Savior and friend Holy Spirit I ask that you would show yourself to them tonight and reveal Jesus is everything they need yes they have other needs and desires that are totally designed by you but show them where they need you and not other forms of comfort and strength you are our main source of strength and stability you give us the answers that we can't find in the world and in seeking you we are able to genuinely live in community the way we are created to in the name of Jesus we pray amen allow me to read our base scripture again these are ancient Spirit inspired words that have stood the test of thousands of years for millions of men and women and they stand true for us today may this truth sink deeply into our souls whom have I in heaven but you and there is nothing on Earth that I desire besides you My Flesh and my heart May Fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever God wants to be your first and last desire and your strength when all other things fail at some point in our lives our strength will let us down our hearts May Fail our flesh May weaken our minds May falter what we trusted in when we were youthful and full of Vitality can't be relied upon forever health and property money friends and spouse may all fail us at some point in life but that does not need to cause us disturbance because we have something unfailing or rather someone that is Jesus Christ we are designed for relationship with him first and foremost and he wants to be our first desire we read in psalm 84. my soul Longs yes faiths for the courts of the Lord my heart and flesh Sing For Joy to the Living God something we realize as we grow older and as we get many of our needs met in many ways is that this Earthly life is short and our lives are fragile renowned British poet John Keats who was very sickly from his youth and passed away as a young man at the age of 25. wrote The Following lyrics from his poem Ode to a Nightingale as he was contemplating the fragility of human existence fade far away dissolve and quite forget what thou among the leaves has never known the weariness the fever and the threat here where men sit and hear each other groan where palsy shakes a few sad last gray hairs where youth grows pale and Specter thin and dies where but to think is to be full of sorrow and Lead an eyed despairs where Beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes or new love Pine at them Beyond tomorrow similar to Solomon's understanding as he grew older we know that even Beauty and energy and youth will all fade away one day but the Lord never will he is our portion and our strength in this life and for eternity Psalm 28 7 says the Lord is my strength and my shield in him my heart trusts and I am helped my heart exalts and with my song I give thanks to him the voice translation puts it like this the Eternal is the source of my strength and the shield that guards me when I learn to rest and truly trust him he sends his help this is why my heart is singing I open my mouth to praise him and thankfulness Rises as saw the Lord cannot fail us listen again as I read from Psalm 73 verses 25 and 26. this time from the easy to read version in heaven God I have only you and if I am with you what on Earth could I want maybe my mind and body will become weak but God is my source of strength he is mine forever Jesus is everything your heart truly needs precious listener you were created for unending relationship and Union with him he is what your soul deeply Longs for although often we don't recognize that God is the strength of your heart and your portion forever we do know God himself has created us with physical and relational and practical needs we certainly do not discount those he designed us that way and yet he must be above all I pray that he may be most precious to us above our other valid needs and longings he wants us to have our needs for food and shelter and joy met but he wants us to ask him to lead that Journey and not Elevate the needs above himself the fulfiller of them Lord Jesus may you always be first in our hearts you are so wonderful you are so worthy of our first love you are the creator of Heaven and Earth you are the beginning and the end of all things you are our bread of life you are our living water you are our covering you are our friend who sticks closer than a brother you are our spouse for all eternity created us with physical emotional and relational needs and you don't want to leave us empty you are pointing us back to yourself as the answer and the only one who will truly fulfill us in your wonderful name we pray amen if you have ever walked through a season of longing and unfulfilled desires I pray that you feel his presence and nearness more than ever often he makes his presence even more keenly felt in those times when our needs are greatest sometimes those times lead us to call on his name more earnestly perhaps you heard him saying to you seek my face like Psalm 27 8 which reads you have said seek my face my heart says to you your face Lord I do seek let us seek his face all the days of our lives in this world where we see many people lost and running to other things to fulfill them it's easy to forget how much we need him we forget that we are made in His image and we need him most we are Eternal Spirits inhabiting mortal bodies and so we do need Jesus more than Comforts and purpose and even a spouse though he just loves to give us all these good gifts these things can't deeply fulfill us they are the icing and he is the cake as we become content with him and make him our first love we usually find that all of these other things fall into their rightful place as we know from Matthew 6 seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then all these things will be given to you too he is a good King who wants us to enjoy his kingdom and fullness breathe deeply and drink in this love Precious Child father God is gritting widely over you see his eyes brimming with kindness looking at you they hold no shame no judgment just pure unadulterated love that not even the kindest human could give you Jesus is so gracious let us draw near to him unashamed Hebrews 10 22 tells us let us draw near with a true heart and full Assurance of faith with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water maybe he is waiting right now for you to come to him and fall into his arms you don't need to run around getting your needs met elsewhere come to him and he will put everything in its proper place he knows what you need far better than you ever will listen as I read down to verse 10 in our foundation psalm in the voice translation when the armies of the enemy surround me I will not be afraid When Death calls for me in the midst of War my soul is confident and unmoved I am pleading with the Eternal for this one thing my soul's desire to live with him all of my days in the shadow of his Temple to behold his Beauty and Ponder his ways in the company of his people his house is my shelter and secret retreat it is there I find peace in the midst of storm and turmoil safety sits with me in the hiding place of God he will set me on a rock High Above The Fray God lifts me high above those with thoughts of death and deceit that call for my life I will enter his presence offering sacrifices and praise in his house I am overcome with joy as I say yes and play music for the Eternal alone I cannot shout any louder Eternal one Hear My Cry and respond with your grace the prodding of my heart leads me to chase after you I am seeking you Eternal one don't retreat from me you have always answered my call don't hide from me now don't give up on me in anger at your servant you have always been there for me don't throw me to the side and forget me my God and only salvation my father and mother have deserted me yet the Eternal will take me in oh Eternal show me your way Shine Your Light brightly on this path and make it level for me let us behold his Beauty in our hearts now there's nothing else like it often we realize we have nurtured a substitute God in our hearts when we sense an itch or restlessness inside and find ourselves searching and searching for a sense of Soul satisfaction in other places in these times Jesus is inviting us again to make him the king of our hearts Saint Augustine of Hippo felt it he wrote about the void that is everyone's heart that can only be filled by God is so good and gracious that he knows we can't invite him as king without his help we can't do it in our strength he wants us to ask for himself he is our strength and he is our help how wonderful he is there is never any condemnation from him he is so ready and willing to help us put him first in our hearts pray with me dear King Jesus thank you for so gently and kindly revealing yourself to us more thank you that it's such a freeing truth to know that you are above all else in our lives you love meeting our needs as humans and you love being the Fulfillment of our deepest desires let us want you above all other wants may you be first and foremost in our hearts may you always be front and center not just in word but in deed and in truth would you show us that you are more necessary than Comforts and possessions or even companionship although those are blessings you want to give us you are our true bread of life and our real living water we were created for you to bring you glory and enjoy you forever thank you that you know all our physical needs and you feed even the little sparrows so how much more will you feed us your beloved children in your name Jesus we pray amen listen again to the words of Psalm 73. for all my wanting I don't have anyone but you in heaven there is nothing on Earth that I desire other than you I admit how broken I am in body and spirit but God is my strength and he will be mine forever every time someone or something fails you God is there to catch you even the gifts he gives us and the companions He blesses us with may let us down but God himself will never let us down [Music] when people disappoint us or flake out on us when we need the most it can be a crushing blow but the holy spirit is always right there to hold you and comfort you he is not flaky he will never fail you or forsake you that's his promise and it's impossible for him to break his promise when others fail or forsake you God is guiding you and providing for you he is proving his faithfulness when others are unfaithful even in your moments of weakness he will prove to you that he is strong it is unfailing even when you or others fail pray that you will see his goodness and that you will be able to Echo the words of the psalmist and word deed and Truth there is nothing on Earth that I desire besides you keep breathing gently Let the Peace of Deep Sleep continue to enfold you God is taking his place in your heart and he is making all things right he is shouldering your burdens he is supplying you with everything you need precious one you can trust him first and foremost to provide for you just like a good father for their child listen as I read the words from Jesus himself from Matthew 6 verses 26 to 34. look at the birds in the sky they do not store food for winter they don't plant Gardens they do not sow or reap and yet they are always fed because your heavenly father feeds them and you are even more precious to him than a beautiful bird if he looks after them of course he will look after you worrying does not do any good who here can claim to add even an hour to his life by worry nor should you worry about clothes consider the lilies of the field and how they grow they do not work or weave or so and yet their garments are stunning even King Solomon dressed in his most Regal garb was not as lovely as these lilies and think about grassy Fields the grasses are here now but they will be dead by winter and yet God adorns them so radiantly how much more will he clothe you you of little faith you who have no trust so do not consume yourselves with questions what will we eat what will we drink what will we wear Outsiders make themselves frantic over such questions they don't realize that your heavenly father knows exactly what you need seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then all these things will be given to you too Our Father God knows all our needs he created us with those needs he has given us everything in this life to meet those needs but most of all he has given us the greatest gift of his son Jesus we are first and foremost created for deep relationship and Union with his son still your mind and focus your attention on Jesus his holy spirit is given to you to make the presence and person of Jesus real and tangible to you perhaps you can sense him perhaps he is Whispering softly to your heart perhaps he is surrounding you with a warm glow perhaps he is filling you with peace allow him to show himself to you in whatever way he wants he is fulfilling your needs right now maybe needs you didn't know you had he created you so he knows you better than you know yourself in Philippians 3 8 and 9. Paul expresses the all sufficiency of Christ in his life indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but that which comes through faith in Christ the righteousness from God that depends on faith join me as we close in prayer dear father God thank you for being our sustenance and strength our refuge and rest the only one who truly provides and guides us would you help us to continue to experience you as our all-sufficient Lord you know what we mean before we even ask for it bless this child's sleep tonight may they dream sweet dreams in your presence and wake up refreshed in Jesus name amen continue to let the truths of this story sink in he will meet all your needs according to his riches in glory listen again to this sleep story about Jesus being above everything else in your life allow me to read our base scripture again these are ancient Spirit inspired words that have stood the test of thousands of years for millions of men and women and they stand true for us today may this truth sink deeply into our souls whom have I in heaven but you and there is nothing on Earth that I desire besides you My Flesh and my heart May Fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever God wants to be your first and last desire and your strength when all other things fail at some point in our lives our strength will let us down our hearts May Fail our flesh May weaken our minds May falter what we trusted in when we were youthful and full of Vitality can't be relied upon forever health and property money friends and spouse may all fail us at some point in life but that does not need to cause us disturbance because we have something unfailing or rather someone that is Jesus Christ we are designed for relationship with him first and foremost and he wants to be our first desire we read in psalm 84. my soul Longs yes faiths for the courts of the Lord my heart and flesh Sing For Joy to the Living God something we realize as we grow older and as we get many of our needs met in many ways is that this Earthly life is short and our lives are fragile renowned British poet John Keats who was very sickly from his youth and passed away as a young man at the age of 25. wrote The Following lyrics from his poem Ode to a Nightingale as he was contemplating the fragility of human existence fade far away dissolve and quite forget what thou among the leaves has never known the weariness the fever and the threat here where men sit and hear each other groan where palsy shakes a few sad last gray hairs where youth grows pale and and Specter thin and dies where but to think is to be full of sorrow and Lead an eyed despairs where Beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes or new love Pine at them Beyond tomorrow similar to Solomon's understanding as he grew older we know that even Beauty and energy and youth will all fade away one day but the Lord never will he is our portion and our strength in this life and for eternity Psalm 28 7 says the Lord is my strength and my shield in him my heart trusts and I am helped my heart exalts and with my song I give thanks to him the voice translation puts it like this the Eternal is the source of my strength and The Shield that guards me when I learn to rest and truly trust him he sends his help this is why my heart is singing I open my mouth to praise him and thankfulness Rises as Saul the Lord cannot fail us listen again as I read from psalm 73. verses 25 and 26. this time from the easy to read version in heaven God I have only you and if I am with you what on Earth could I want maybe my mind and body will become weak but God is my source of strength he is mine forever Jesus is everything your heart truly needs precious listener you were created for unending relationship and Union with him he is what your soul deeply Longs for although often we don't recognize that God is the strength of your heart and your portion forever we do know God himself has created us with physical and relational and practical needs we certainly do not discount those he designed us that way and yet he must be above all I pray that he may be most precious to us above our other valid needs and longings he wants us to have our needs for food and shelter and joy met but he wants us to ask him to lead that Journey and not Elevate the needs above himself the fulfiller of them Lord Jesus may you always be first in our hearts you are so wonderful you are so worthy of our first love you are the creator of Heaven and Earth you are the beginning and the end of all things you are our bread of life you are our living water you are our covering you are our friend who sticks closer than a brother you are our spouse for all eternity created us with physical emotional and relational needs and you don't want to leave us empty you are pointing us back to yourself as the answer and the only one who will truly fulfill us in your wonderful name we pray amen if you have ever walked through a season of longing and unfulfilled desires pray that you feel his presence and nearness more than ever often he makes his presence even more keenly felt than those times when our needs are greatest sometimes those times lead us to call on his name more earnestly perhaps you heard him saying to you seek my face like Psalm 27 8 which reads you have said seek my face my heart says to you your face Lord I do seek let us seek his face all the days of our lives in this world where we see many people lost and running to other things to fulfill them it's easy to forget how much we need him we forget that we are made in His image and we need him most we are Eternal Spirits inhabiting mortal bodies and so we do need Jesus more than Comforts and purpose and even a spouse though he just loves to give us all these good gifts these things can't deeply fulfill us they are the icing and he is the cake as we become content with him and make him our first love we usually find that all of these other things fall into their rightful place as we know from Matthew 6 seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then all these things will be given to you too he is a good King who wants us to enjoy his kingdom in fullness breathe deeply and drink in this love Precious Child father God is gritting widely over you see his eyes brimming with kindness looking at you they hold no shame no judgment just pure unadulterated love that not even the kindest human could give you Jesus is so gracious let us draw near to him unashamed Hebrews 10 22 tells us let us draw near with the true heart and full Assurance of faith with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water maybe he is waiting right now for you to come to him and fall into his arms you don't need to run around getting your needs met elsewhere come to him and he will put everything in its proper place he knows what you need far better than you ever will listen as I read down to verse 10 in our foundation psalm in the voice translation when the armies of the enemy surround me I will not be afraid When Death calls for me in the midst of War my soul is confident and unmoved I am pleading with the Eternal for this one thing my soul's desire to live with him all of my days in the shadow of his Temple to behold his Beauty and Ponder his ways in the company of his people his house is my shelter and secret retreat it is there I find peace in the midst of storm and turmoil safety sits with me in the hiding place of God he will set me on a rock High Above The Fray God lifts me high above those with thoughts of death and deceit that call for my life I will enter his presence offering sacrifices and praise in his house I am overcome with joy as I say yes and play music for the Eternal alone I cannot shout any louder Eternal one Hear My Cry and respond with your grace the prodding of my heart leads me to chase after you I am seeking you Eternal one don't retreat from me you have always answered my call don't hide from me now don't give up on me in anger at your servant you have always been there for me don't throw me to the side and forgive me my God and only salvation my father and mother have deserted me yet the Eternal will take me in oh Eternal show me your way Shine Your Light brightly on this path and make it level for me let us behold his Beauty in our hearts now there's nothing else like it often we realize we have nurtured a substitute God in our hearts when we sense an itch or restlessness inside and find ourselves searching and searching for a sense of Soul satisfaction in other places in these times Jesus is inviting us again to make him the king of our hearts Saint Augustine of Hippo felt it he wrote about the void that is everyone's heart that can only be filled by God is so good and gracious that he knows we can't invite him as king without his help we can't do it in our strength he wants us to ask for itself he is our strength and he is our help how wonderful he is there is never any condemnation from him he is so ready and willing to help us put him first in our hearts pray with me dear King Jesus thank you for so gently and kindly revealing yourself to us more thank you that it's such a freeing truth to know that you are above all else in our lives you love meeting our needs as humans and you love being the Fulfillment of our deepest desires let us want you above all other wants may you be first and foremost in our hearts may you always be front and center not just in word but in deed and in truth would you show us that you are more necessary than Comforts and possessions or even companionship although those are blessings you want to give us you are our true bread of life and our real living water we were created for you to bring you glory and enjoy you forever thank you that you know all our physical needs and you feed even the little sparrows so how much more will you feed us your beloved children and your name Jesus we pray amen listen again to the words of Psalm 73. for all my wanting I don't have anyone but you in heaven there is nothing on Earth that I desire other than you I admit how broken I am in body and spirit but God is my strength and he will be mine forever every time someone or something fails you God is there to catch you even the gifts he gives us and the companions He blesses us with may let us down but God himself will never let us down when people disappoint us or flake out on us when we need the most it can be a crushing blow but the holy spirit is always right there to hold you and comfort you he is not flaky he will never fail you or forsake you that's his promise and it's impossible for him to break his promise when others fail or forsake you God is guiding you and providing for you he is proving his faithfulness when others are unfaithful even in your moments of weakness he will prove to you that he is strong he is unfailing even when you or others fail I pray that you will see his goodness and that you will be able to Echo the words of the psalmist and word deed and Truth there is nothing on Earth that I desire besides you breathing gently Let the Peace of Deep Sleep continue to enfold you God is taking his place in your heart and he is making all things right he is shouldering your burdens he is supplying you with everything you need precious one you can trust him first and foremost to provide for you just like a good father for their child listen as I read the words from Jesus himself from Matthew 6 verses 26 to 34. look at the birds in the sky they do not store food for winter they don't plant Gardens they do not sow or reap and yet they are always fed because your heavenly father feeds them and you are even more precious to him than a beautiful bird if he looks after them of course he will look after you worrying does not do any good who here can claim to add even an hour to his life by worrying nor should you worry about clothes consider the lilies of the field and how they grow they do not work or weave or so and yet their garments are stunning even King Solomon dressed in his most Regal gar was not as lovely as these lilies and think about grassy Fields the grasses are here now but they will be dead by winter and yet God adorns them so radiantly how much more will he clothe you you of little faith you who have no trust so do not consume yourselves with questions what will we eat what will we drink what will we wear Outsiders make themselves frantic over such questions they don't realize that your heavenly father knows exactly what you need seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then all these things will be given to you too Our Father God knows all our needs he created us with those needs he has given us everything in this life to meet those needs but most of all he has given us the greatest gift of his son Jesus we are first and foremost created for deep relationship and Union with his son still your mind and focus your attention on Jesus his holy spirit is given to you to make the presence and person of Jesus real and tangible to you perhaps you can sense him perhaps he is Whispering softly to your heart perhaps he is surrounding you with a warm glow perhaps he is filling you with peace allow him to show himself to you in whatever way he wants he is fulfilling your needs right now maybe needs you didn't know you had he created you so he knows you better than you know yourself in Philippians 3 8 and 9. Paul expresses the all-sufficiency of Christ in his life indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but that which comes through faith in Christ the righteousness from God that depends on faith join me as we close in prayer dear father God thank you for being our sustenance and strength our refuge and rest the only one who truly provides and guides us would you help us to continue to experience you as our all-sufficient Lord you know what we need before we even ask for it bless this child's sleep tonight may they dream sweet dreams in your presence wake up refreshed in Jesus name amen continue to let the truths of this stories again he will meet all your needs according to his riches and Glory listen again to this sleep story about Jesus being above everything else in your life [Music] allow me to read our base scripture again these are ancient Spirit inspired words that have stood the test of thousands of years for millions of men and women and they stand true for us today may this truth sink deeply into our souls whom have I in heaven but you and there is nothing on Earth that I desire besides you My Flesh and my heart May Fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever God wants to be your first and last desire and your strength when all other things fail at some point in our lives our strength will let us down our hearts May Fail our flesh May weaken our minds May falter what we trusted in when we were youthful and full of Vitality can't be relied upon forever health and property money friends and spouse may all fail us at some point in life but that does not need to cause us disturbance because we have something unfailing or rather someone that is Jesus Christ we are designed for relationship with him first and foremost and he wants to be our first desire we read in psalm 84. my soul Longs yes faints for the courts of the Lord my heart and flesh Sing For Joy to the Living God something we realize as we grow older and as we get many of our needs met in many ways is that this Earthly life is short and our lives are fragile renowned British poet John Keats who was very sickly from his youth and passed away as a young man at the age of 25. wrote The Following lyrics from his poem Ode to a Nightingale as he was contemplating the fragility of human existence fade far away dissolve and quite forget what thou among the leaves has never known the weariness the fever and the threat here where men sit and hear each other groan where palsy shakes a few sad last gray hairs where youth grows pale and Specter thin and dies where but to think is to be full of sorrow and Lead an eyed despairs where Beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes or new love Pine at them Beyond tomorrow similar to Solomon's understanding as he grew older we know that even Beauty and energy and youth will all fade away one day but the Lord never will he is our portion and our strength in this life and for eternity Psalm 28 7 says the Lord is my strength and my shield in him my heart trusts and I am helped my heart exalts and with my song I give thanks to him the voice translation puts it like this the Eternal is the source of my strength and the shield that guards me when I learned to rest and truly trust him he sends his help this is why my heart is singing I open my mouth to praise him and thankfulness Rises as Saul the Lord cannot fail us listen again as I read from Psalm 73 verses 25 and 26. this time from the easy to read version in heaven God I have only you and if I am with you what on Earth could I want maybe my mind and body will become weak but God is my source of strength he is mine forever Jesus is everything your heart truly needs precious listener you were created for unending relationship and Union with him he is what your soul deeply Longs for although often we don't recognize that God is the strength of your heart and your portion forever we do know God himself has created us with physical and relational and practical needs we certainly do not discount those he designed us that way and yet he must be above all I pray that he may be most precious to us above our other valid needs and longings he wants us to have our needs for food and shelter and joy met but he wants us to ask him to lead that Journey and not Elevate the needs above himself the fulfiller of them Lord Jesus may you always be first in our hearts you are so wonderful you are so worthy of our first love you are the creator of Heaven and Earth you are the beginning and the end of all things you are our bread of life you are our living water you are our covering you are our friend who sticks closer than a brother you are our spouse for all eternity you created us with physical emotional and relational needs and you don't want to leave us empty you are pointing us back to yourself as the answer and the only one who will truly fulfill us and your wonderful name we pray amen if you have ever walked through a season of longing and unfulfilled desires I pray that you feel his presence and nearness more than ever often he makes his presence even more keenly felt than those times when our needs are greatest sometimes those times lead us to call on his name more earnestly perhaps you heard him saying to you seek my face like Psalm 27 8 which reads you have said seek my face my heart says to you your face Lord I do seek let us seek his face all the days of our lives in this world where we see many people lost and running to other things to fulfill them it's easy to forget how much we need him we forget that we are made in His image and we need him most we are Eternal Spirits inhabiting mortal bodies and so we do need Jesus more than Comforts and purpose and even a spouse [Music] though he just loves to give us all these good gifts these things can't deeply fulfill us they are the icing and he is the cake as we become content with him and make him our first love we usually find that all of these other things fall into their rightful place as we know from Matthew 6 seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then all these things will be given to you too he is a good King who wants us to enjoy his kingdom and fullness breathe deeply and drink in this love Precious Child father God is gritting widely over you see his eyes brimming with kindness looking at you they hold no shame no judgment just pure unadulterated love that not even the kindest human could give you Jesus is so gracious let us draw near to him unashamed Hebrews 10 22 tells us let us draw near with the true heart and full Assurance of faith with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water maybe he is waiting right now for you to come to him and fall into his arms you don't need to run around getting your needs met elsewhere come to him and he will put everything in its proper place he knows what you need far better than you ever will listen as I read down to verse 10 in our foundation psalm in the voice translation when the armies of the enemy surround me I will not be afraid When Death calls for me in the midst of War my soul is confident and unmoved I am pleading with the Eternal for this one thing my soul's desire to live with him all of my days in the shadow of his Temple to behold his Beauty and Ponder his ways in the company of his people his house is my shelter and secret retreat it is there I find peace in the midst of storm and turmoil safety sits with me in the hiding place of God he will set me on a rock High Above The Fray God lifts me high above those with thoughts of death and deceit that call for my life I will enter his presence offering sacrifices and praise in his house I am overcome with joy as I say yes and play music for the Eternal alone I cannot shout any louder Eternal one Hear My Cry and respond with your grace the prodding of my heart leads me to chase after you I am seeking you Eternal one don't retreat from me you have always answered my call don't hide from me now don't give up on me and anger at your servant you have always been there for me don't throw me to the side and forgive me my God and only salvation my father and mother have deserted me yet the Eternal will take me in oh Eternal show me your way Shine Your Light brightly on this path and make it level for me let us behold his Beauty in our hearts now there's nothing else like it often we realize we have nurtured a substitute God in our hearts when we sense an itch or restlessness inside and find ourselves searching and searching for a sense of Soul satisfaction in other places in these times Jesus is inviting us again to make him the king of our hearts Saint Augustine of Hippo felt it he wrote about the void that is everyone's heart that can only be filled by God is so good and gracious that he knows we can't invite him as king without his help we can't do it in our strength he wants us to ask for himself he is our strength and he is our help how wonderful he is there was never any condemnation from him he is so ready and willing to help us put him first in our hearts pray with me dear King Jesus thank you for so gently and kindly revealing yourself to us more thank you that it's such a freeing truth to know that you are above all else in our lives you love meeting our needs as humans and you love being the Fulfillment of our deepest desires let us want you above all other wants may you be first and foremost in our hearts may you always be front and center not just in word but in deed and in truth would you show us that you are more necessary than Comforts and possessions or even companionship although those are blessings you want to give us you are our true bread of life and our real living water we were created for you to bring you glory and enjoy you forever thank you that you know all our physical needs and you feed even the little sparrows so how much more will you feed us your beloved children and your name Jesus we pray amen listen again to the words of Psalm 73. for all my wanting I don't have anyone but you in heaven there is nothing on Earth that I desire other than you I admit how broken I am in body and spirit but God is my strength and he will be mine forever every time someone or something fails you God is there to catch you even the gifts he gives us and the companions He blesses us with may let us down but God himself will never let us down [Music] when people disappoint us or flake out on us when we need the most it can be a crushing blow but the holy spirit is always right there to hold you and comfort you he is not flaky he will never fail you or forsake you that's his promise and it's impossible for him to break his promise when others fail or forsake you God is guiding you and providing for you he is proving his faithfulness when others are unfaithful even in your moments of weakness he will prove to you that he is strong he is unfailing even when you or others fail I pray that you will see his goodness and that you will be able to Echo the words of the psalmist and word deed and Truth there is nothing on Earth that I desire besides you keep breathing gently Let the Peace of Deep Sleep continue to enfold you God is taking his place in your heart he is making all things right he is shouldering your burdens he is supplying you with everything you need precious one you can trust him first and foremost to provide for you just like a good father for their child listen as I read the words from Jesus himself from Matthew 6 verses 26 to 34. look at the birds in the sky they do not store food for winter they don't plant Gardens they do not sow or reap and yet they are always fed because your heavenly father feeds them and you are even more precious to him than a beautiful bird if he looks after them of course he will look after you worrying does not do any good who here can claim to add even an hour to his life by worry nor should you worry about clothes consider the lilies of the field and how they grow they do not work or weave or so and yet their garments are stunning even King Solomon dressed in his most Regal garb was not as lovely as these lilies and think about grassy Fields the grasses are here now but they will be dead by winter and yet God adorns them so radiantly how much more will he clothe you you of little faith you who have no trust so do not consume yourselves with questions what will we eat what will we drink what will we wear Outsiders make themselves frantic over such questions they don't realize that your heavenly father knows exactly what you need seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then all these things will be given to you too Our Father God knows all our needs he created us with those needs he has given us everything in this life to meet those needs but most of all he has given us the greatest gift of his son Jesus we are first and foremost created for deep relationship and Union with his son still your mind and focus your attention on Jesus his holy spirit is given to you to make the presence and person of Jesus real and tangible to you perhaps you can sense him perhaps he is Whispering softly to your heart perhaps he is surrounding you with a warm glow perhaps he is filling you with peace allow him to show himself to you in whatever way he wants he is fulfilling your needs right now maybe needs you didn't know you had he created you so he knows you better than you know yourself in Philippians 3 8 and 9. Paul expresses the all-sufficiency of Christ in his life indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but that which comes through faith in Christ the righteousness from God that depends on faith join me as we close in prayer dear father God thank you for being our sustenance and strength our refuge and rest the only one who truly provides and guides us would you help us to continue to experience you as our all-sufficient Lord you know what we mean before we even ask for it bless this child's sleep tonight may they dream sweet dreams in your presence wake up refreshed in Jesus name amen continue to let the truths of this story sink in he will meet all your needs according to his riches and Glory listen again to this sleep story about Jesus being above everything else in your life allow me to read our base scripture again these are ancient Spirit inspired words that have stood the test of thousands of years for millions of men and women and they stand true for us today may this truth sink deeply into our souls whom have I in heaven but you and there is nothing on Earth that I desire besides you My Flesh and my heart May Fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever God wants to be your first and last desire design and your strength when all other things fail at some point in our lives our strength will let us down our hearts May Fail flesh May weaken our minds May falter what we trusted in when we were youthful and full of Vitality can't be relied upon forever health and property money friends and spouse may all fail us at some point in life but that does not need to cause us disturbance because we have something unfailing or rather someone that is Jesus Christ we are designed for relationship with him first and foremost and he wants to be our first desire we read in psalm 84. my soul Longs yes faints for the courts of the Lord my heart and flesh Sing For Joy to the Living God something we realize as we grow older and as we get many of our needs met in many ways is that this Earthly life is short and our lives are fragile renowned British poet John Keats who was very sickly from his youth and passed away as a young man at the age of 25. wrote The Following lyrics from his poem Ode to a Nightingale as he was contemplating the fragility of human existence fade far away dissolve and quite forget what thou among the leaves has never known the weariness the fever and the Fret here where men sit and hear each other groan where palsy shakes a few sad last gray hairs where youth grows pale and Specter thin and dies where but to think is to be full of sorrow and Lead an eyed despairs where Beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes or new love Pine at them Beyond tomorrow similar to Solomon's understanding as he grew older we know that even Beauty and energy and youth will all fade away one day but the Lord never will he is our portion and our strength in this life and for eternity Psalm 28 7 says the Lord is my strength and my shield in him my heart trusts and I am helped my heart exalts and with my song I give thanks to him the voice translation puts it like this the Eternal is the source of my strength and the shield that guards me when I learn to rest and truly trust him he sends his help this is why my heart is singing I open my mouth to praise him and thankfulness Rises as Saul the Lord cannot fail us listen again as I read from Psalm 73 verses 25 and 26. this time from the easy to read version in heaven God I have only you and if I am with you what on Earth could I want maybe my mind and body will become weak but God is my source of strength he is mine forever Jesus is everything your heart truly needs precious listener you were created for unending relationship and Union with him he is what your soul deeply Longs for although often we don't recognize that God is the strength of your heart and your portion forever we do know God himself has created us with physical and relational and practical needs we certainly do not discount those he designed us that way and yet he must be above all I pray that he may be most precious to us above our other valid needs and longings he wants us to have our needs for food and shelter and joy met but he wants us to ask him to lead that Journey and not Elevate the needs above himself the fulfiller of them Lord Jesus may you always be first in our hearts you are so wonderful you are so worthy of our first love you are the creator of Heaven and Earth you are the beginning and the end of all things you are our bread of life you are our living water you are our covering you are our friend who sticks closer than a brother you are our spouse for all eternity you created us with physical emotional and relational needs and you don't want to leave us empty you are pointing us back to yourself as the answer and the only one who will truly fulfill us in your wonderful name we pray amen if you have ever walked through a season of longing and unfulfilled desires I pray that you feel his presence and nearness more than ever often he makes his presence even more keenly felt in those times when our needs are greatest sometimes those times lead us to call on his name more earnestly perhaps you heard him saying to you seek my face like Psalm 27 8 which reads you have said seek my face my heart says to you your face Lord I do seek let us seek his face all the days of our lives in this world where we see many people lost and running to other things to fulfill them it's easy to forget how much we need him we forget that we are made in His image and we need him most we are Eternal Spirits inhabiting mortal bodies and so we do need Jesus more than Comforts and purpose and even a spouse though he just loves to give us all these good gifts these things can't deeply fulfill us they are the icing and he is the cake as we become content with him and make him our first love we usually find that all of these other things fall into their rightful place as we know from Matthew 6 seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then all these things will be given to you too he is a good King who wants us to enjoy his kingdom in fullness breathe deeply and drink in this love Precious Child father God is grinning widely over you see his eyes brimming with kindness looking at you they hold no shame no judgment just pure unadulterated love love that not even the kindest human could give you Jesus is so gracious let us draw near to him unashamed Hebrews 10 22 tells us let us draw near with a true heart and full Assurance of faith with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water maybe he is waiting right now for you to come to him and fall into his arms you don't need to run around getting your needs met elsewhere come to him and he will put everything in its proper place he knows what you need far better than you ever will listen as I read down to verse 10 in our foundation psalm in the voice translation when the armies of the enemy surround me I will not be afraid When Death calls for me in the midst of War my soul is confident and unmoved I am pleading with the Eternal for this one thing my soul's desire to live with him all of my days in the shadow of his Temple to behold his Beauty and Ponder his ways in the company of his people his house is my shelter and secret retreat it is there I find peace in the midst of storm and turmoil safety sits with me in the hiding place of God he will set me on a rock High Above The Fray God lifts me high above those with thoughts of death and deceit that call for my life I will enter his presence offering sacrifices and praise in his house I am overcome with joy as I sing yes and play music for the Eternal alone I cannot shout any louder Eternal one Hear My Cry and respond with your grace the prodding of my heart leads me to chase after you I am seeking you Eternal one don't retreat from me you have always answered my call don't hide from me now don't give up on me and anger at your servant you have always been there for me don't throw me to the side and forget me my God and only salvation my father and mother have deserted me yet the Eternal will take me in oh Eternal show me your way Shine Your Light brightly on this path and make it level for me let us behold his Beauty in our hearts now there's nothing else like it often we realize we have nurtured a substitute God in our hearts when we sense an itch or restlessness inside and find ourselves searching and searching for a sense of Soul satisfaction in other places in these times Jesus is inviting us again to make him the king of our hearts Saint Augustine of Hippo felt it wrote about the void that is everyone's heart that can only be filled by God is so good and gracious that he knows we can't invite him as king without his help we can't do it in our strength he wants us to ask for himself he is our strength and he is our help how wonderful he is there is never any condemnation from him he is so ready and willing to help us put him first in our hearts pray with me dear King Jesus thank you for so gently and kindly revealing yourself to us more thank you that it's such a freeing truth to know that you are above all else in our lives you love meeting our needs as humans and you love being the Fulfillment of our deepest desires let us want you above all other wants may you be first and foremost in our hearts may you always be front and center not just in word but in deed and in truth would you show us that you are more necessary than Comforts and possessions or even companionship although those are blessings you want to give us you are our true bread of life and our real living water we were created for you to bring you glory and enjoy you forever thank you that you know all our physical needs and you feed even the little sparrows so how much more will you feed us your beloved children in your name Jesus we pray amen listen again to the words of Psalm 73. for all my wanting I don't have anyone but you in heaven there is nothing on Earth that I desire other than you I admit how broken I am in body and spirit but God is my strength and he will be mine forever every time someone or something fails you God is there to catch you even the gifts he gives us and the companions He blesses us with may let us down but God himself will never let us down when people disappoint us or flake out on us when we need the most it can be a crushing blow but the holy spirit is always right there to hold you and comfort you he is not flaky he will never fail you or forsake you that's his promise and it's impossible for him to break his promise when others fail or forsake you God is guiding you and providing for you he is proving his faithfulness when others are unfaithful even in your moments of weakness it will prove to you that he is strong he is unfailing even when you or others fail I pray that you will see his goodness and that you will be able to Echo the words of the psalmist and word deed and Truth there is nothing on Earth that I desire besides you keep breathing gently Let the Peace of Deep Sleep continue to enfold you God is taking his place in your heart and he is making all things right he is shouldering your burdens he is supplying you with everything you need precious one you can trust him first and foremost to provide for you just like a good father for their child listen as I read the words from Jesus himself from Matthew 6 verses 26 to 34. look at the birds in the sky they do not store food for winter they don't plant Gardens they do not sow or reap and yet they are always fed because your heavenly father feeds them and you are even more precious to him than a beautiful bird if he looks after them of course he will look after you worrying does not do any good who here can claim to add even an hour to his life by worrying nor should you worry about clothes consider the lilies of the field and how they grow they do not work or weave or so and yet their garments are stunning even King Solomon dressed in his most Regal garb was not as lovely as these lilies and think about grassy Fields the grasses are here now but they will be dead by winter and yet God adorns them so radiantly how much more will he clothe you you with little faith you who have no trust so do not consume yourselves with questions what will we eat what will we drink what will we wear Outsiders make themselves frantic over such questions they don't realize that your heavenly father knows exactly what you need seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then all these things will be given to you too Our Father God knows all our needs he created us with those needs he has given us everything in this life to meet those needs but most of all he has given us the greatest gift of his son Jesus we are first and foremost created for deep relationship and Union with his son still your mind and focus your attention on Jesus his holy spirit is given to you to make the presence and person of Jesus real and tangible to you perhaps you can sense him perhaps he is Whispering softly to your heart perhaps he is surrounding you with a warm glow perhaps he is filling you with peace allow him to show himself to you in whatever way he wants he is fulfilling your needs right now maybe needs you didn't know you had he created you so he knows you better than you know yourself in Philippians 3 8 and 9. Paul expresses the all sufficiency of Christ in his life indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but that which comes through faith in Christ the righteousness from God that depends on faith join me as we close in prayer dear father God thank you for being our sustenance and strength our refuge and rest the only one who truly provides and guides us would you help us to continue to experience you as our all-sufficient Lord you know what we need before we even ask for it bless this child's sleep tonight may they dream sweet dreams in your presence and wake up refreshed in Jesus name amen continue to let the truths of this story sink in he will meet all your needs according to his riches and Glory in tonight's meditation based on Psalm 73 verses 25 and 26. we will be exploring what it means for us to place Jesus above everything that he may be our greatest desire the one who was first and foremost in our lives the one who we run to when we are low the one we praise when we have joy our first recourse instead of our last resort we will be discovering how it is possible to desire him over all other loves scripture that will be guiding us tonight is from Psalm 73 verses 25 and 26. written by ASAP whom have I in heaven but you and there is nothing on Earth that I desire besides you flesh in my heart May Fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever We Are Made In His Image and we are made for Union with him we were made to walk in the garden with him and he has created us with many valid needs as humans but he is above all we will be experiencing this theme tonight through dwelling on certain Psalms and the words of Jesus himself we will be letting him touch our hearts and reveal his truth to us so we can journey through this life relying on him most of all and having our needs met in the ways he has designed first of all I invite you to make yourself comfortable and cozy under the covers let your head and neck grow heavy and sink into the soft pillows release the stresses and worries of the day and let go of any tension that has collected your face and jaw breathe gently and deeply as you let the peace of God enfold you inhale and hold exhale and release take a few more breaths like this and feel yourself surrendering your cares to him knowing he cares deeply for you everything that matters to you matters to your father in Heaven still your mind by bringing your attention to your breathing rhythm often when our minds are busy and going to and fro bringing your focus to something very simple like the wind gently moving a tree branch outside your window or the soothing pattern of your breathing can start to calm your mind for the next few moments simply listen to your own natural inhalations and exhalations like the tidal waves at the ocean shore in and out in and out in and out feel your belly rise and fall feel your mind calming down and your body entering into deep rest keep your attention on this for as long as you want I also invite you to ask the holy spirit to guide you he has given you the breath in your lungs and he sustains your very being by his power and Grace fresh oxygen is nourishing your body because he is making it do so breathe out your thanks to him for such love and mercy he doesn't leave you to breathe on your own he is completely invested in doing even the most basic parts of life with you what a marvelous and loving Creator we have let me ask God to bless and guide our time together dear heavenly father there is no one like you none in all the heavens are on the Earth there is no one more glorious or more wonderful more kind or more gentle more caring or more powerful than you I pray that you would gently draw this listener's full attention and affection toward you tonight lead their focus away from the troubles that might seem insurmountable and toward you they're all sufficient Lord and Savior and friend Holy Spirit I ask that you would show yourself to them tonight and reveal Jesus is everything they need yes they have other needs and desires that are totally designed by you but show them where they need you and not other forms of comfort and strength you are our main source of strength and stability you give us the answers that we can't find in the world and in seeking you we are able to genuinely live in community the way we are created to in the name of Jesus we pray amen allow me to read our base scripture again these are ancient Spirit inspired words that have stood the test of thousands of years for millions of men and women and they stand true for us today may this truth sink deeply into our souls whom have I in heaven but you and there is nothing on Earth that I desire besides you My Flesh and my heart May Fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever God wants to be your first and last desire and your strength when all other things fail at some point in our lives our strength will let us down our hearts May Fail our flesh May weaken our minds May falter what we trusted in when we were youthful and full of Vitality can't be relied upon forever health and property money friends and spouse may all fail us at some point in life but that does not need to cause us disturbance because we have something unfailing or rather someone that is Jesus Christ we are designed for relationship with him first and foremost and he wants to be our first desire we read in psalm 84. my soul Longs yes faints for the courts of the Lord my heart and flesh Sing For Joy to the Living God something we realize as we grow older and as we get many of our needs met in many ways is that this Earthly life is short and our lives are fragile renowned British poet John Keats who was very sickly from his youth and passed away as a young man at the age of 25. wrote The Following lyrics from his poem Ode to a Nightingale as he was contemplating the fragility of human existence fade far away dissolve and quite forget what thou among the leaves has never known the weariness the fever and the threat here where men sit and hear each other groan where palsy shakes a few sad last gray hairs where youth grows pale and Specter thin and dies where but to think is to be full of sorrow and Lead an eyed despairs where Beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes or new love Pine at them Beyond tomorrow similar to Solomon's understanding as he grew older we know that even Beauty and energy and youth will all fade away one day but the Lord never will he is our portion and our strength in this life and for eternity Psalm 28 7 says the Lord is my strength and my shield in him my heart trusts and I am helped my heart exalts and with my song I give thanks to him the voice translation puts it like this the Eternal is the source of my strength and the shield that guards me when I learn to rest and truly trust him he sends his help this is why my heart is singing I open my mouth to praise him and thankfulness Rises as Saul the Lord cannot fail us listen again as I read from Psalm 73 verses 25 and 26. this time from the easy to read version in heaven God I have only you and if I am with you what on Earth could I want maybe my mind and body will become weak but God is my source of strength he is mine forever Jesus is everything your heart truly needs precious listener you were created for unending relationship and Union with him he is what your soul deeply Longs for although often we don't recognize that God is the strength of your heart and your portion forever we do know God himself has created us with physical and relational and practical needs we certainly do not discount those he designed us that way and yet he must be above all I pray that he may be most precious to us above our other valid needs and longings he wants us to have our needs for food and shelter and joy met but he wants us to ask him to lead that Journey and not Elevate the needs above himself the fulfiller of them Lord Jesus may you always be first in our hearts you are so wonderful you are so worthy of our first love you are the creator of Heaven and Earth you are the beginning and the end of all things you are our bread of life you are our living water you are our covering you are our friend who sticks closer than a brother you are our spouse for all eternity it created us with physical emotional and relational needs and you don't want to leave us empty you are pointing us back to yourself as the answer and the only one who will truly fulfill us and your wonderful name we pray amen if you have ever walked through a season of longing and unfulfilled desires I pray that you feel his presence and nearness more than ever often he makes his presence even more keenly felt than those times when our needs are greatest sometimes those times lead us to call on his name more earnestly perhaps you heard him saying to you seek my face like Psalm 27 8 which reads you have said seek my face my heart says to you your face Lord I do seek let us seek his face all the days of our lives in this world where we see many people lost and running to other things to fulfill them it's easy to forget how much we need him we forget that we are made in His image and we need him most we are Eternal Spirits inhabiting mortal bodies and so we do need Jesus more than Comforts and purpose and even a spouse though he just loves to give us all these good gifts these things can't deeply fulfill us they are the icing and he is the cake as we become content with him and make him our first love we usually find that all of these other things fall into their rightful place as we know from Matthew 6 seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then all these things will be given to you too he is a good King who wants us to enjoy his kingdom in fullness breathe deeply and drink in this love Precious Child father God is gritting widely over you see his eyes brimming with kindness looking at you they hold no shame no judgment just pure unadulterated love that not even the kindest human could give you Jesus is so gracious let us draw near to him unashamed Hebrews 10 22 tells us let us draw near with the true heart and full Assurance of faith with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water maybe he is waiting right now for you to come to him and fall into his arms you don't need to run around getting your needs met elsewhere come to him and he will put everything in its proper place he knows what you need far better than you ever will listen as I read down to verse 10 in our foundation song in the voice translation when the armies of the enemy surround me I will not be afraid When Death calls for me in the midst of War my soul is confident and unmoved I am pleading with the Eternal for this one thing my soul's desire to live with him all of my days in the shadow of his Temple to behold his Beauty and Ponder his ways in the company of his people his house is my shelter and secret retreat it is there I find peace in the midst of storm and turmoil safety sits with me in the hiding place of God he will set me on a rock High Above The Fray God lifts me high above those with thoughts of death and deceit that call for my life I will enter his presence offering sacrifices and praise in his house I am overcome with joy as I sing yes and play music for the Eternal alone I cannot shout any louder Eternal one Hear My Cry and respond with your grace the prodding of my heart leads me to chase after you I am seeking you Eternal one don't retreat from me you have always answered my call don't hide from me now don't give up on me in anger at your servant you have always been there for me don't throw me to the side and forget me my God and only salvation my father and mother have deserted me yet the Eternal will take me in oh Eternal show me your way Shine Your Light brightly on this path and make it level for me let us behold his Beauty in our hearts now there's nothing else like it often we realize we have nurtured a substitute God in our hearts when we sense an itch or restlessness inside and find ourselves searching and searching for a sense of Soul satisfaction in other places in these times Jesus is inviting us again to make him the king of our hearts Saint Augustine of Hippo felt it he wrote about the void that is everyone's heart that can only be filled by God is so good and gracious that he knows we can't invite him as king without his help we can't do it in our strength he wants us to ask for himself he is our strength and he is our help how wonderful he is there is never any condemnation from him he is so ready and willing to help us put him first in our hearts pray with me dear King Jesus thank you for so gently and kindly revealing yourself to us more thank you that it's such a freeing truth to know that you are above all else in our lives you love meeting our needs as humans and you love being the Fulfillment of our deepest desires let us want you above all other wants may you be first and foremost in our hearts may you always be front and center not just in word but in deed and in truth would you show us that you are more necessary than Comforts and possessions or even companionship although those are blessings you want to give us you are our true bread of life and our real living water we were created for you to bring you glory and enjoy you forever thank you that you know all our physical needs and you feed even the little sparrows so how much more will you feed us your beloved children and your name Jesus we pray amen listen again to the words of Psalm 73. for all my wanting I don't have anyone but you in heaven there is nothing on Earth that I desire other than you I admit how broken I am in body and spirit but God is my strength and he will be mine forever every time someone or something fails you God is there to catch you even the gifts he gives us and the companions He blesses us with may let us down but God himself will never let us down when people disappoint us or flake out on us when we need the most it can be a crushing blow but the holy spirit is always right there to hold you and comfort you he is not flaky he will never fail you or forsake you that's his promise and it's impossible for him to break his promise when others fail or forsake you God is guiding you and providing for you he is proving his faithfulness when others are unfaithful even in your moments of weakness he will prove to you that he is strong he is unfailing even when you or others fail I pray that you will see his goodness and that you will be able to Echo the words of the psalmist and word deed and Truth there is nothing on Earth that I desire besides you keep breathing gently Let the Peace of deep sleep can continue to enfold you God is taking his place in your heart he is making all things right he is shouldering your burdens he is supplying you with everything you need precious one you can trust him first and foremost to provide for you just like a good father for their child listen as I read the words from Jesus himself from Matthew 6 verses 26 to 34. look at the birds in the sky they do not store food for winter they don't plant Gardens they do not sow or reap and yet they are always fed because your heavenly father feeds them and you are even more precious to him than a beautiful bird if he looks after them of course he will look after you worrying does not do any good who here can claim to add even an hour to his life by worrying nor should you worry about clothes consider the lilies of the field and how they grow they do not work or weave or so and yet their garments are stunning even King Solomon dressed in his most Regal gar was not as lovely as these lilies and think about grassy Fields the grasses are here now but they will be dead by winter and yet God adorns them so radiantly how much more will he clothe you you of little faith you who have no trust so do not consume yourselves with questions what will we eat what will we drink what will we wear Outsiders make themselves frantic over such questions they don't realize that your heavenly father knows exactly what you need seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then all these things will be given to you too Our Father God knows all our needs he created us with those needs he has given us everything in this life to meet those needs but most of all he has given us the greatest gift of his son Jesus we are first and foremost created for deep relationship and Union with his son still your mind and focus your attention on Jesus his holy spirit is given to you to make the presence and person of Jesus real and tangible to you perhaps you can sense him perhaps he is Whispering softly to your heart perhaps he is surrounding you with a warm glow perhaps he is filling you with peace allow him to show himself to you in whatever way he wants he is fulfilling your needs right now maybe needs you didn't know you had he created you so he knows you better than you know yourself in Philippians 3 8 and 9. Paul expresses the all-sufficiency of Christ in his life indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but that which comes through faith in Christ the righteousness from God that depends on faith join me as we close in prayer dear father God thank you for being our sustenance and strength our refuge and rest the only one who truly provides and guides us would you help us to continue to experience you as our all-sufficient Lord you know what we mean before we even ask for it bless this child's sleep tonight may they dream sweet dreams in your presence wake up refreshed in Jesus name amen continue to let the truths of the stories again he will meet all your needs according to his riches and Glory listen again to this sleep story about Jesus being above everything else in your life [Music] allow me to read our base scripture again these are ancient Spirit inspired words that have stood the test of thousands of years for millions of men and women and they stand true for us today may this truth sink deeply into our souls whom have I in heaven but you and there is nothing on Earth that I desire besides you My Flesh and my heart May Fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever God wants to be your first and last desire and your strength when all other things fail at some point in our lives our strength will let us down our hearts May Fail our flesh May weaken our minds May falter what we trusted in when we were youthful and full of Vitality can't be relied upon forever health and property money friends and spouse may all fail us at some point in life but that does not need to cause us disturbance because we have something unfailing or rather someone that is Jesus Christ we are designed for relationship with him first and foremost and he wants to be our first desire we read in psalm 84. my soul Longs yes faints for the courts of the Lord my heart and flesh Sing For Joy to the Living God something we realize as we grow older and as we get many of our needs met in many ways is that this Earthly life is short and our lives are fragile renowned British poet John Keats who was very sickly from his youth and passed away as a young man at the age of 25. wrote The Following lyrics from his poem Ode to a Nightingale as he was contemplating the fragility of human existence fade far away dissolve and quite forget what thou among the leaves has never known the weariness the fever and the threat here where men sit and hear each other groan where palsy shakes a few sad last gray hairs where youth grows pale and Specter thin and dies where but to think is to be full of sorrow and Lead an eyed despairs where Beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes or new love Pine at them Beyond tomorrow similar to Solomon's understanding as he grew older we know that even Beauty and energy and youth will all fade away one day but the Lord never will he is our portion and our strength in this life and for eternity Psalm 28 7 says the Lord is my strength and my shield in him my heart trusts and I am helped my heart exalts and with my song I give thanks to him the voice translation puts it like this the Eternal is the source of my strength and the Shield that guards me when I learn to rest and truly trust him he sends his help this is why my heart is singing I open my mouth to praise him and thankfulness Rises as Saul the Lord cannot fail us listen again as I read from psalm 73. verses 25 and 26. this time from the easy to read version in heaven God I have only you and if I am with you what on Earth could I want maybe my mind and body will become weak but God is my source of strength he is mine forever Jesus is everything your heart truly needs precious listener you were created for unending relationship and Union with him he is what your soul deeply Longs for although often we don't recognize that God is the strength of your heart and your portion forever we do know God himself has created us with physical and relational and practical needs we certainly do not discount those he designed us that way and yet he must be above all I pray that he may be most precious to us above our other valid needs and longings he wants us to have our needs for food and shelter and joy met but he wants us to ask him to lead that Journey and not Elevate the needs above himself the fulfiller of them Lord Jesus may you always be first in our hearts you are so wonderful you are so worthy of our first love you are the creator of Heaven and Earth you are the beginning and the end of all things you are our bread of life you are our living water you are our covering you are our friend who sticks closer than a brother you are our spouse for all eternity he created us with physical emotional and relational needs and you don't want to leave us empty you are pointing us back to yourself as the answer and the only one who will truly fulfill us in your wonderful name we pray amen if you have ever walked through a season of longing and unfulfilled desires I pray that you feel his presence and nearness more than ever often he makes his presence even more keenly felt in those times when our needs are greatest sometimes those times lead us to call on his name more earnestly perhaps you heard him saying to you seek my face like Psalm 27 8 which reads you have said seek my face my heart says to you your face Lord I do seek let us seek his face all the days of our lives in this world where we see many people lost and running to other things to fulfill them it's easy to forget how much we need him we forget that we are made in His image and we need him most we are Eternal Spirits inhabiting mortal bodies and so we do need Jesus more than Comforts and purpose and even a spouse though he just loves to give us all these good gifts these things can't deeply fulfill us they are the icing and he is the cake as we become content with him and make him our first love we usually find that all of these other things fall into their rightful place as we know from Matthew 6 seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then all these things will be given to you too he is a good King who wants us to enjoy his kingdom in fullness breathe deeply and drink in this love Precious Child father God is gritting widely over you see his eyes brimming with kindness looking at you they hold no shame no judgment just pure unadulterated love love that not even the kindest human could give you Jesus is so gracious let us draw near to him unashamed Hebrews 10 22 tells us let us draw near with a true heart and full Assurance of Faith with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water maybe he is waiting right now for you to come to him and fall into his arms you don't need to run around getting your needs met elsewhere come to him and he will put everything in its proper place he knows what you need far better than you ever will listen as I read down to verse 10 in our foundation psalm in the voice translation when the armies of the enemy surround me I will not be afraid When Death calls for me in the midst of War my soul is confident and unmoved I am pleading with the Eternal for this one thing my soul's desire to live with him all of my days in the shadow of his Temple to behold his Beauty and Ponder his ways in the company of his people his house is my shelter and secret retreat it is there I find peace in the midst of storm and turmoil safety sits with me in the hiding place of God he will set me on a rock High Above The Fray God lifts me high above those with thoughts of death and deceit that call for my life I will enter his presence offering sacrifices and praise in his house I am overcome with joy as I say yes and play music for the Eternal alone I cannot shout any louder Eternal one Hear My Cry and respond with your grace the priding of my heart leads me to chase after you I am seeking you Eternal one don't retreat from me you have always answered my call don't hide from me now don't give up on me in anger at your servant you have always been there for me don't throw me to the side and forget me my God and only salvation my father and mother have deserted me yet the Eternal will take me in oh Eternal show me your way Shine Your Light brightly on this path and make it level for me let us behold his Beauty in our hearts now there's nothing else like it often we realize we have nurtured a substitute God in our hearts when we sense an itch or restlessness inside and find ourselves searching and searching for a sense of Soul satisfaction in other places in these times Jesus is inviting us again to make him the king of our hearts Saint Augustine of Hippo felt it he wrote about the void that is everyone's heart that can only be filled by God is so good and gracious that he knows we can't invite him as king without his help we can't do it in our strength he wants us to ask for himself he is our strength and he is our help how wonderful he is there was never any condemnation from him he is so ready and willing to help us put him first in our hearts pray with me dear King Jesus thank you for so gently and kindly revealing yourself to us more thank you that it's such a freeing truth to know that you are above all else in our lives you love meeting our needs as humans and you love being the Fulfillment of our deepest desires let us want you above all other wants may you be first and foremost in our hearts may you always be front and center not just in word but in deed and in truth would you show us that you are more necessary than Comforts and possessions or even companionship although those are blessings you want to give us you are our true bread of life and our real living water we were created for you to bring you glory and enjoy you forever thank you that you know all our physical needs and you feed even the little sparrows so how much more will you feed us your beloved children and your name Jesus we pray amen listen again to the words of Psalm 73. for all my wanting I don't have anyone but you in heaven there is nothing on Earth that I desire other than you I admit how broken I am in body and spirit but God is my strength and he will be mine forever every time someone or something fails you God is there to catch you even the gifts he gives us and the companions He blesses us with may let us down but God himself will never let us down when people disappoint us or flake out on us when we need the most it can be a crushing blow but the holy spirit is always right there to hold you and comfort you he is not flaky he will never fail you or forsake you that's his promise and it's impossible for him to break his promise when others fail or forsake you God is guiding you and providing for you he is proving his faithfulness when others are unfaithful even in your moments of weakness he will prove to you that he is strong he is unfailing even when you or others fail I pray that you will see his goodness and that you will be able to Echo the words of the psalmist and word deed and Truth there is nothing on Earth that I desire besides you keep breathing gently Let the Peace of Deep Sleep continue to enfold you God is taking his place in your heart he is making all things right he is shouldering your burdens he is supplying you with everything you need precious one you can trust him first and foremost to provide for you just like a good father for their child listen as I read the words from Jesus himself from Matthew 6 verses 26 to 34. look at the birds in the sky they do not store food for winter they don't plant Gardens they do not sow or reap and yet they are always fed because your heavenly father feeds them and you are even more precious to him than a beautiful bird if he looks after them of course he will look after you worrying does not do any good who here can claim to add even an hour to his life by worry nor should you worry about clothes consider the lilies of the field and how they grow they do not work or weave or so and yet their garments aren't stunning even King Solomon dressed in his most Regal garb was not as lovely as these lilies and think about grassy Fields the grasses are here now but they will be dead by winter and yet God adorns them so radiantly how much more will he clothe you you with little faith you who have no trust so do not consume yourselves with questions what will we eat what will we drink what will we wear Outsiders make themselves frantic over such questions they don't realize that your heavenly father knows exactly what you need seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then all these things will be given to you too Our Father God knows all our needs he created us with those needs he has given us everything in this life to meet those needs but most of all he has given us the greatest gift of his son Jesus we are first and foremost created for deep relationship and Union with his son still your mind and focus your attention on Jesus his holy spirit is given to you to make the presence and person of Jesus real and tangible to you perhaps you can sense him perhaps he is Whispering softly to your heart perhaps he is surrounding you with a warm glow perhaps he is filling you with peace allow him to show himself to you in whatever way he wants he is fulfilling your needs right now maybe needs you didn't know you had he created you so he knows you better than you know yourself in Philippians 3 8 and 9. Paul expresses the all-sufficiency of Christ in his life indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but that which comes through faith in Christ the righteousness from God that depends on faith join me as we close in prayer dear father God thank you for being our sustenance and strength our refuge and rest the only one who truly provides and guides us would you help us to continue to experience you as our all-sufficient Lord you know what we mean before we even ask for it bless this child's sleep tonight may they dream sweet dreams in your presence wake up refreshed in Jesus name amen continue to let the truths of this stories again he will meet all your needs according to his riches and Glory listen again to this sleep story about Jesus being above everything else in your life allow me to read our base scripture again these are ancient Spirit inspired words that have stood the test of thousands of years for millions of men and women and they stand true for us today may this truth sink deeply into our souls whom have I in heaven but you and there is nothing on Earth that I desire besides you My Flesh and my heart May Fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever God wants to be your first and last desire and your strength when all other things fail at some point in our lives our strength will let us down our hearts May Fail our flesh May weaken our minds May falter what we trusted in when we were youthful and full of Vitality can't be relied upon forever health and property money friends and spouse may all fail us at some point in life but that does not need to cause us disturbance because we have something unfailing or rather someone that is Jesus Christ we are designed for relationship with him first and foremost and he wants to be our first desire we read in psalm 84. my soul Longs yes faints for the courts of the Lord my heart and flesh Sing For Joy to the Living God something we realize as we grow older and as we get many of our needs met in many ways is that this Earthly life is short and our lives are fragile renowned British poet John Keats who was very sickly from his youth and passed away as a young man at the age of 25. wrote The Following lyrics from his poem Ode to a Nightingale as he was contemplating the fragility of human existence fade far away dissolve and quite forget what thou among the leaves has never known the weariness the fever and the threat here where men sit and hear each other groan where palsy shakes a few sad last gray hairs where youth grows pale and Specter thin and dies where but to think is to be full of sorrow and Lead an eyed despairs where Beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes or new love Pine at them Beyond tomorrow similar to Solomon's understanding as he grew older we know that even Beauty and energy and youth will all fade away one day but the Lord never will he is our portion and our strength in this life and for eternity Psalm 28 7 says the Lord is my strength and my shield in him my heart trusts and I am helped my heart exalts and with my song I give thanks to him the voice translation puts it like this the Eternal is the source of my strength and The Shield that guards me when I learn to rest and truly trust him he sends his help this is why my heart is singing I open my mouth to praise him and thankfulness Rises as Saul the Lord cannot fail us listen again as I read from psalm 73. verses 25 and 26. this time from the easy to read version in heaven God I have only you and if I am with you what on Earth could I want maybe my mind and body will become weak but God is my source of strength he is mine forever Jesus is everything your heart truly needs precious listener you were created for unending relationship and Union with him he is what your soul deeply Longs for although often we don't recognize that God is the strength of your heart and your portion forever we do know God himself has created us with physical and relational and practical needs we certainly do not discount those he designed us that way and yet he must be above all I pray that he may be most precious to us above our other valid needs and longings he wants us to have our needs for food and shelter and joy met but he wants us to ask him to lead that Journey and not Elevate the needs above himself the fulfiller of them Lord Jesus may you always be first in our hearts you are so wonderful you are so worthy of our first love you are the creator of Heaven and Earth you are the beginning and the end of all things you are our bread of life you are our living water you are our covering you are our friend who sticks closer than a brother you are our spouse for all eternity you created us with physical emotional and relational needs and you don't want to leave us empty you are pointing us back to yourself as the answer and the only one who will truly fulfill us in your wonderful name we pray amen if you have ever walked through a season of longing and unfulfilled desires I pray that you feel his presence and nearness more than ever often he makes his presence even more keenly felt in those times when our needs are greatest sometimes those times lead us to call on his name more earnestly perhaps you heard him saying to you seek my face like Psalm 27 8 which reads you have said seek my face my heart says to you your face Lord I do seek let us seek his face all the days of our lives in this world where we see many people lost and running to other things to fulfill them it's easy to forget how much we need him we forget that we are made in His image and we need him most we are Eternal Spirits inhabiting mortal bodies and so we do need Jesus more than Comforts and purpose and even a spouse though he just loves to give us all these good gifts these things can't deeply fulfill us they are the icing and he is the cake as we become content with him and make him our first love we usually find that all of these other things fall into their rightful place as we know from Matthew 6 seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then all these things will be given to you too he is a good King who wants us to enjoy his kingdom in fullness breathe deeply and drink in this love Precious Child father God is gritting widely over you see his eyes brimming with kindness looking at you they hold no shame no judgment just pure unadulterated love love that not even the kindest human could give you Jesus is so gracious let us draw near to him unashamed Hebrews 10 22 tells us let us draw near with a true heart and full Assurance of faith with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water maybe he is waiting right now for you to come to him and fall into his arms you don't need to run around getting your needs met elsewhere come to him and he will put everything in its proper place he knows what you need far better than you ever will listen as I read down to verse 10 in our foundation psalm in the voice translation when the armies of the enemy surround me I will not be afraid When Death calls for me in the midst of War my soul is confident and unmoved I am pleading with the Eternal for this one thing my soul's desire to live with him all of my days in the shadow of his Temple to behold his Beauty and Ponder his ways in the company of his people his house is my shelter and secret retreat it is there I find peace in the midst of storm and turmoil safety sits with me in the hiding place of God it will set me on a rock High Above The Fray God lifts me high above those with thoughts of death and deceit that call for my life I will enter his presence offering sacrifices and praise in his house I am overcome with joy as I say yes and play music for the Eternal alone I cannot shout any louder Eternal one Hear My Cry and respond with your grace the prodding of my heart leads me to chase after you I am seeking you Eternal one don't retreat from me you have always answered my call don't hide from me now don't give up on me and anger at your servant you have always been there for me but throw me to the side and forget me my God and only salvation my father and mother have deserted me yet the Eternal will take me in oh Eternal show me your way Shine Your Light brightly on this path and make it level for me let us behold his Beauty in our hearts now there's nothing else like it often we realize we have nurtured a substitute God in our hearts when we sense an itch or restlessness inside and find ourselves searching and searching for a sense of Soul satisfaction in other places in these times Jesus is inviting us again to make him the king of our hearts Saint Augustine of Hippo felt it he wrote about the void that is everyone's heart that can only be filled by God is so good and gracious that he knows we can't invite him as king without his help we can't do it in our strength he wants us to ask for himself he is our strength and he is our help how wonderful he is there is never any condemnation from him he is so ready and willing to help us put him first in our hearts pray with me dear King Jesus thank you for so gently and kindly revealing yourself to us more thank you that it's such a freeing truth to know that you are above all else in our lives you love meeting our needs as humans and you love being the Fulfillment of our deepest desires let us want you above all other wants may you be first and foremost in our hearts may you always be front and center not just in word but in deed and in truth would you show us that you are more necessary than Comforts and possessions or even companionship although those are blessings you want to give us you are our true bread of life and our real living water we were created for you to bring you glory and enjoy you forever thank you that you know all our physical needs and you feed even the little sparrows so how much more will you feed us your beloved children and your name Jesus we pray amen listen again to the words of Psalm 73. for all my wanting I don't have anyone but you in heaven there is nothing on Earth that I desire other than you I admit how broken I am in body and spirit but God is my strength and he will be mine forever every time someone or something fails you God is there to catch you even the gifts he gives us and the companions He blesses us with may let us down but God himself will never let us down when people disappoint us or flake out on us when we need the most it can be a crushing blow but the holy spirit is always right there to hold you and comfort you he is not flaky he will never fail you or forsake you that's his promise and it's impossible for him to break his promise when others fail or forsake you God is guiding you and providing for you he is proving his faithfulness when others are unfaithful even in your moments of weakness he will prove to you that he is strong he is unfailing even when you or others fail I pray that you will see his goodness and that you will be able to Echo the words of the psalmist and word deed and Truth there is nothing on Earth that I desire besides you keep breathing gently Let the Peace of Deep Sleep continue to enfold you God is taking his place in your heart and he is making all things right he is shouldering your burdens he is supplying you with everything you need precious one you can trust him first and foremost to provide for you just like a good father for their child listen as I read the words from Jesus himself from Matthew 6 verses 26 to 34. look at the birds in the sky they do not store food for winter they don't plant Gardens they do not sow or reap and yet they are always fed because your heavenly father feeds them and you are even more precious to him than a beautiful bird if he looks after them of course he will look after you worrying does not do any good who here can claim to add even an hour to his life by worry nor should you worry about clothes consider the lilies of the field and how they grow they do not work or weave or so and yet their garments are stunning even King Solomon dressed in his most Regal garb was not as lovely as these lilies and think about grassy Fields the grasses are here now but they will be dead by winter and yet God adorns them so radiantly how much more will he clothe you you with little faith you who have no trust so do not consume yourselves with questions what will we eat what will we drink what will we wear Outsiders make themselves frantic over such questions they don't realize that your heavenly father knows exactly what you need seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then all these things will be given to you too Our Father God knows all our needs he created us with those needs he has given us everything in this life to meet those needs but most of all he has given us the greatest gift of his son Jesus we are first and foremost created for deep relationship and Union with his son [Music] still your mind and focus your attention on Jesus his holy spirit is given to you to make the presence and person of Jesus real and tangible to you perhaps you can sense him perhaps he is Whispering softly to your heart perhaps he is surrounding you with a warm glow perhaps he is filling you with peace allow him to show himself to you in whatever way he wants he is fulfilling your needs right now maybe needs you didn't know you had he created you so he knows you better than you know yourself in Philippians 3 8 and 9. Paul expresses the all sufficiency of Christ in his life indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but that which comes through faith in Christ the righteousness from God that depends on faith join me as we close in prayer dear father God thank you for being our sustenance and strength our refuge and rest the only one who truly provides and guides us would you help us to continue to experience you as our all-sufficient Lord you know what we need before we even ask for it bless this child's sleep tonight may they dream sweet dreams in your presence and wake up refreshed in Jesus name amen continue to let the truths of this stories again he will meet all your needs according to his riches and Glory listen again to this sleep story about Jesus being above everything else in your life allow me to read our base scripture again these are ancient Spirit inspired words that have stood the test of thousands of years for millions of men and women and they stand true for us today may this truth sink deeply into our souls whom have I in heaven but you and there is nothing on Earth that I desire besides you My Flesh and my heart May Fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever God wants to be your first and last desire and your strength when all other things fail at some point in our lives our strength will let us down our hearts May Fail our flesh May weaken our minds May falter what we trusted in when we were youthful and full of Vitality can't be relied upon forever health and property money friends and spouse may all fail us at some point in life but that does not need to cause us disturbance because we have something unfailing or rather someone that is Jesus Christ we are designed for relationship with him first and foremost and he wants to be our first desire we read in psalm 84. my soul Longs yes faints for the courts of the Lord my heart and flesh Sing For Joy to the Living God something we realize as we grow older and as we get many of our needs met in many ways is that this Earthly life is short and our lives are fragile renowned British poet John Keats who was very sickly from his youth and passed away as a young man at the age of 25. wrote The Following lyrics from his poem Ode to a Nightingale as he was contemplating the fragility of human existence fade far away dissolve and quite forget what thou among the leaves has never known the weariness the fever and the threat here where men sit and hear each other groan where palsy shakes a few sad last gray hairs where youth grows pale and Specter thin and dies where but to think is to be full of sorrow and Lead an eyed despairs where Beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes or new love Pine at them Beyond tomorrow similar to Solomon's understanding as he grew older we know that even Beauty and energy and youth will all fade away one day but the Lord never will he is our portion and our strength in this life and for eternity Psalm 28 7 says the Lord is my strength and my shield in him my heart trusts and I am helped my heart exalts and with my song I give thanks to her the voice translation puts it like this the Eternal is the source of my strength and the shield that guards me when I learn to rest and truly trust him he sends his help this is why my heart is singing I open my mouth to praise him and thankfulness Rises as Saul the Lord cannot fail us listen again as I read from Psalm 73 verses 25 and 26. this time from the easy to read version in heaven God I have only you and if I am with you what on Earth could I want maybe my mind and body will become weak but God is my source of strength he is mine forever Jesus is everything your heart truly needs precious listener you were created for unending relationship and Union with him he is what your soul deeply Longs for although often we don't recognize that God is the strength of your heart and your portion forever we do know God himself has created us with physical and relational and practical needs we certainly do not discount those he designed us that way and yet he must be above all I pray that he may be most precious to us above our other valid needs and longings he wants us to have our needs for food and shelter and joy met but he wants us to ask him to lead that Journey and not Elevate the needs above himself the fulfiller of them Lord Jesus may you always be first in our hearts you are so wonderful you are so worthy of our first love you are the creator of Heaven and Earth you are the beginning and the end of all things you are our bread of life you are our living water you are our covering you are our friend who sticks closer than a brother you are our spouse for all eternity you created us with physical emotional and relational needs and you don't want to leave us empty you are pointing us back to yourself as the answer and the only one who will truly fulfill us and your wonderful name we pray amen if you have ever walked through a season of longing and unfulfilled desires I pray that you feel his presence and nearness more than ever often he makes his presence even more keenly felt in those times when our needs are greatest sometimes those times lead us to call on his name more earnestly perhaps you heard him saying to you seek my face like Psalm 27 8 which reads you have said seek my face my heart says to you your face Lord I do seek let us seek his face all the days of our lives in this world where we see many people lost and running to other things to fulfill them it's easy to forget how much we need him we forget that we are made in His image and we need him most we are Eternal Spirits inhabiting mortal bodies and so we do need Jesus more than Comforts and purpose and even a spouse though he just loves to give us all these good gifts these things can't deeply fulfill us they are the icing and he is the king as we become content with him and make him our first love we usually find that all of these other things fall into their rightful place as we know from Matthew 6 seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then all these things will be given to you too he is a good King who wants us to enjoy his kingdom in fullness breathe deeply and drink in this love Precious Child father God is gritting widely over you see his eyes brimming with kindness looking at you they hold no shame no judgment just pure unadulterated love that not even the kindest human could give you Jesus is so gracious let us draw near to him unashamed Hebrews 10 22 tells us let us draw near with the true heart and full Assurance of faith with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water maybe he is waiting right now for you to come to him and fall into his arms you don't need to run around getting your needs met elsewhere come to him and he will put everything in its proper place he knows what you need far better than you ever will listen as I read down to verse 10 in our foundation psalm in the voice translation when the armies of the enemy surround me I will not be afraid When Death calls for me in the midst of War my soul is confident and unmoved I am pleading with the Eternal for this one thing my soul's desire to live with him all of my days in the shadow of his Temple to behold his Beauty and Ponder his ways in the company of his people his house is my shelter and secret retreat it is there I find peace in the midst of storm and turmoil safety sits with me in the hiding place of God he will set me on a rock High Above The Fray God lifts me high above those with thoughts of death and deceit that call for my life I will enter his presence offering sacrifices and praise in his house I am overcome with joy as I sing yes and play music for the Eternal alone I cannot shout any louder Eternal one Hear My Cry and respond with your grace the prodding of my heart leads me to chase after you I am seeking you Eternal one don't retreat from me you have always answered my call don't hide from me now don't give up on me in anger at your servant you have always been there for me don't throw me to the side and forgive me my God and only salvation my father and mother have deserted me yet the Eternal will take me in oh Eternal show me your way Shine Your Light brightly on this path and make it level for me let us behold his Beauty in our hearts now there's nothing else like it often we realize we have nurtured a substitute God in our hearts when we sense an itch or restlessness inside and find ourselves searching and searching for a sense of Soul satisfaction in other places in these times Jesus is inviting us again to make him the king of our hearts Saint Augustine of Hippo felt it he wrote about the void that is everyone's heart that can only be filled by God is so good and gracious that he knows we can't invite him as king without his help we can't do it in our strength he wants us to ask for itself he is our strength and he is our help how wonderful he is there is never any condemnation from him he is so ready and willing to help us put him first in our hearts pray with me dear King Jesus thank you for so gently and kindly revealing yourself to us more thank you that it's such a freeing truth to know that you are above all else in our lives you love meeting our needs as humans and you love being the Fulfillment of our deepest desires let us want you above all other wants may you be first and foremost in our hearts may you always be front and center not just in word but in deed and in truth would you show us that you are more necessary than Comforts and possessions or even companionship although those are blessings you want to give us you are our true bread of life and our real living water we were created for you to bring you glory and enjoy you forever thank you that you know all our physical needs and you feed even the little sparrows so how much more will you feed us your beloved children and your name Jesus we pray amen listen again to the words of Psalm 73. for all my wanting I don't have anyone but you in heaven there is nothing on Earth that I desire other than you I admit how broken I am in body and spirit but God is my strength and he will be mine forever every time someone or something fails you God is there to catch you even the gifts he gives us and the companions He blesses us with may let us down but God himself will never let us down when people disappoint us or flake out on us when we need the most it can be a crushing blow but the holy spirit is always right there to hold you and comfort you he is not flaky he will never fail you or forsake you that's his promise and it's impossible for him to break his promise when others fail or forsake you God is guiding you and providing for you he is proving his faithfulness when others are unfaithful even in your moments of weakness he will prove to you that he is strong he is unfailing even when you or others fail I pray that you will see his goodness and that you will be able to Echo the words of the psalmist and word deed and Truth there is nothing on Earth that I desire besides you [Music] breathing gently Let the Peace of Deep Sleep continue to enfold you God is taking his place in your heart he is making all things right he is shouldering your burdens he is supplying you with everything you need precious one you can trust him first and foremost to provide for you just like a good father for their child listen as I read the words from Jesus himself from Matthew 6 verses 26 to 34. look at the birds in the sky they do not store food for winter they don't plant Gardens they do not sow or reap and yet they are always fed because your heavenly father feeds them and you are even more precious to him than a beautiful bird if he looks after them of course he will look after you worrying does not do any good who here can claim to add even an hour to his life by worry nor should you worry about clothes consider the lilies of the field and how they grow they do not work or weave or so and yet their garments are stunning even King Solomon dressed in his most Regal garb was not as lovely as these lilies and think about grassy Fields the grasses are here now but they will be dead by winter and yet God adorns them so radiantly how much more will he clothe you you with little faith you who have no trust so do not consume yourselves with questions what will we eat what will we drink what will we wear Outsiders make themselves frantic over such questions they don't realize that your heavenly father knows exactly what you need seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then all these things will be given to you too Our Father God knows all our needs he created us with those needs he has given us everything in this life to meet those needs but most of all he has given us the greatest gift of his son Jesus we are first and foremost created for deep relationship and Union with his son still your mind and focus your attention on Jesus his holy spirit is given to you to make the presence and person of Jesus real and tangible to you perhaps you can sense him perhaps he is Whispering softly to your heart perhaps he is surrounding you with a warm glow perhaps he is filling you with peace allow him to show himself to you in whatever way he wants filling your needs right now maybe needs you didn't know you had he created you so he knows you better than you know yourself in Philippians 3 8 and 9. Paul expresses the all-sufficiency of Christ in his life indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but that which comes through faith in Christ the righteousness from God that depends on faith join me as we close in prayer dear father God thank you for being our sustenance and strength our refuge and rest the only one who truly provides and guides us would you help us to continue to experience you as our all-sufficient Lord you know what we mean before we even ask for it bless this child's sleep tonight may they dream sweet dreams in your presence wake up refreshed in Jesus name amen continue to let the truths of this story sink in he will meet all your needs according to his riches and Glory I feel like when I listen to the sleep meditations that I have a friend next to me foreign [Music]

Channel: Abide Meditation App

Views: 501,707

Keywords: jesus above everything, jesus above, Abide sleep, Abide, jesus meditation, jesus meditation sleep, christian sleep meditation, jesus sleep meditation, jesus sleep, christian sleep stories, christian sleep meditation guided, sleep jesus, christian meditation, bible meditation for sleep, sleep bible meditation, sleep prayer meditation, christian sleep, sleep scripture meditation, sleep with jesus, sleep, sleep meditation jesus, meditation with jesus, Jesus meditation

Id: 9VBFDysLMBQ

Length: 180min 20sec (10820 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 19 2023