Many of us take for granted what a wonderful gift it is from God to place our heads on the pillow at night and know deep down inside that it is well with our souls— “peace like a river.” But there are times when our minds are much noisier, and we cannot turn them off when we try to sleep. At times, life’s troubles seem like they will overwhelm us. Then, there are those frightening moments when doubt comes rushing in like a flood. Is Christianity true? Are the sacrifices we must make associated with following Jesus worth the effort? We may even question whether or not we are Christ’s, or if we ever were. Worst of all, we may truly fear that we may have done something which will cause Christ to cast us away.

The good news for our troubled consciences is that because of the finished work of Jesus Christ for us on Calvary’s cross (the message of the gospel) it is always well with our souls, whether or not we can successfully turn off our noisy minds. Our standing with God does not in any sense depend upon whether or not we can sleep peacefully. But it sure helps us turn off our minds by considering the benefits of Christ—his obedient life, his sacrificial death, his victory over the grave—which are the basis for our salvation. These things are always secure. Yet, one of the most difficult struggles of the Christian life is our ability (or lack thereof) to fully grasp these benefits and then live in the light of the comfort which they bring us.

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