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Have You made your Bed? A few years ago I had a lesson entitled “A Bed Too Short” taken from Isaiah 28:20: “For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.” Actually it was a very interesting study as what the Bible has to say about the “bed” is quite interesting; if you stop to think about it the reference above might even be considered humorous. Can’t you see one of the giants of basketball fame trying to lie down on a six foot bed? Makes you laugh doesn’t it. The intended lesson of this verse is that you must live with the consequences of your deeds. The luxuries you once knew are no longer there. You are now in a “bed” that is “too short”, furthermore, you don’t even have a blanket wide enough to cover yourself. Could this mean that there is nothing with which to cover, or hide your sins? Actually God has a lot to say about the “bed” in His inspired Word as it appears 87 times in the Bible. In the Bible you will find that the “bed” is illustrative of the grave: (Isa 57:1 – 2) The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. 2He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness. Here Isaiah continues the theme of chapter 56 [I.e. he is contrasting the fate of the righteous with the sinful. Peace will be the reward of the righteous. They will have rest in a bed [that is not too short]. I find it extremely sad that the righteous die and no one seems to care. They will care when they die and they don’t have the rest that the righteous are to enjoy. As the old saying goes, “You made your bed, now lie in it”. Which “bed would you rather lie in? We also find when Job was in extreme discomfort he spoke of the grave as a bed: (Job 17:13) If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness. Where do you want to be when you are sick? There are some who when they are sick want to get up and work it off. This may work sometimes, but not always. If you are sick enough you want to be in a comfortable bed. God knows this and He offers strength to those who are ill: (Psa 41:3) “The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.” The strengthening that the Lord offers is both in body and mind. Doesn’t it make you feel better just knowing that God is there with you and that He is strengthening you? I know that I want God on my side, what about you? What do you do when you go to “bed”? If you are like most people this is when you go to God in prayer! I know of a few who don’t use this time to pray as they say they go to sleep before they have finished their prayers. If that be the case with you I would urge you to choose another time. But if you can stay awake use this quiet time to talk with your Creator. (Song of Solomon) 3:1 “By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth:” The Psalmist also suggests that we sing in bed: Psa 149:5 “Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.” You might want to try this sometime! Often times when we are grieving the only place we can find any comfort is our beds: (1 Kgs. 21:4) “And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.” When you find yourself is such great grief that you don’t even feel like eating may I suggest that you go to bed and commune with God, and don’t forget to praise His holy name. I venture to say that your spirits will be lifted and you will have a different outlook on life. If you are like me sometimes I use my couch for a bed: (Psa 6:6) “I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.” A bed is used for many different reasons, to cry, to pray, to rest; regardless of what you use your bed for you will always find comfort there. But remember to use it for prayer, whether before going to sleep or after awakening; prayer will always make you feel better!
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