Can't Sleep? Count Sheep!

The other evening as I was cleaning up dinner, I was listening to WJTL and a song came on the radio with a line in it about counting the lost sheep. I can't remember the song or the lyrics (great story, eh?) but it got me to thinking about the idea of counting sheep when you can't sleep. Where did this idea come from, I wonder? For it is truly Biblically based. It reminded me of the parable of the lost sheep in Matthew 18:10-14:


“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish."

When struggling with insomnia, have you ever tried counting sheep? I'm sure I've given up before 100 - probably more from boredom with the thought than with falling back to sleep. But, I'm not sure the idea is to just count them. We should be interceding during these times for the 'lost sheep.' Do you know someone who isn't saved? Someone who has put their faith 'on hold' as they pursue fleshly desires? We need to be praying for those who need to come back to the fold.

Likewise, Proverbs 27:23 says "Know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds." I read a book on management once that says that leaders are to pay attention to how the people who look up to them are feeling (in a nutshell). Do we know the hearts of those people we interact with on a regular basis? Is God keeping us awake so that we can intercede for one of his lost sheep? Do we know the condition of those around us? Are we doing enough to pray for them and rejoicing over the one found sheep? Don't get weary of counting to 100 - for there's much rejoicing over the one found as the 99 others who are doing just fine. If you're awake at night, don't miss the opportunity to pray!