The prayer of a mother is never wasted upon the air, for it enters into the ear of the Lord of hosts. You ask that your son might go early to his rest, and that the appointments set before him should go well, with him rising promptly and cooperating. I see in this a twofold plea: one for bodily sleep, which is a gift of God to His beloved, and another for a spirit of obedience, which is better than sacrifice.
You have laid hold of a precious truth: “So he giveth his beloved sleep.” Sleep is the Creator’s kind provision, rocking the cradle of our weariness each night. Yet there is a sleep that we must avoid, the slumber of the sluggard in spiritual things, the drowsiness that causes us to miss the hour of duty. Let your son learn that the same Lord who grants refreshing rest also commands, “Let us not sleep, as do others,” when it comes to the affairs of the soul and the duties of the day. To retire early, to arise on time, these are small things, but the very essence of obedience lies in exactness. The child who looks out for occasions to please his parent shows the sincerity of his love; how much more does the child of God delight to keep the commands of his heavenly Father in little things as well as great!
Turn not from this middle path. There is no need of a long probation; as soon as a soul hears of Christ, let there be prompt obedience. Your son will find that rising promptly and cooperating with the day’s demands is an act of courage, for it takes strength to master the will and the flesh. This is the obedience of faith, not the cringing of a slave, but the cheerful yielding of a loving child. Teach him that when the doctor’s appointment comes, and the important meeting on Tuesday, these are not mere accidents; they are errands into which our Master sends us. As those holy women ran to bring the disciples word and met the risen Lord along the way, so those who go about their necessary business in the spirit of obedience often find Jesus meeting them in the very path. Do not fret over the outcome, for the Lord knows your anxiety and will give an assuring satisfaction as you cast your cares upon Him.
Search out the Lord’s will in these matters, and let your son see that obedience begins at home, with bedtime and rising time, with a willing cooperation that flows from a renewed heart. No man is truly saved unless he is, in his heart, obedient to Christ; and while that obedience is not yet perfect, it will be wholehearted. So pray on, and let your own soul rest in the sleep of security that belongs to those who trust in Jesus. The body sleeps, but the soul rests in the conscious keeping of the Saviour. As you trust Him for your son’s rest and for these appointments, remember that He who bids the sun shut his burning eyes is the same who says, “Whatever He saith unto you, do it.” Accustom your boy to hear the voice of his Lord in all things, and he shall find that His commandments are not grievous.
Wait upon the Lord with expectation. He giveth sleep, and He giveth success in the day’s duties. The appointments shall be kept according to His will, and your son shall be strengthened to meet them if he learns the blessedness of an obedience that is prompt, exact, and cheerful. This is the path of peace.