'Tossin - n - Turnin'

(King James Verssion)
“When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.”

(New King James Version)
“When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise, and the night be ended?’ For I have had my
fill of tossing till dawn.”

(Contemporary English Version)
“ I pray for night to end, but it stretches out while I toss and turn.”

In July of 1961 (42 years ago) a singer by the name of Bobby Lewis recorded a song titled ‘Tossin’ - n - Turnin’. For 23 weeks, the song road the music charts eventually hitting the number spot in both the pop and rhythm & blues categories.

The words and melody of the song, which was the only monster hit recorded by Bobby Lewis, was on the lips and in the minds of practically every teenager of that time who had ever been in love. In the song, Bobby Lewis sang to a woman who had evidently done some "love thing" to him that caused him not to be able to sleep at night.

He said, “I couldn’t sleep at all last night, just a thinking of you.” He said, “things weren’t right – cause, I was tossin and turning, turning and tossin... Toss and turn all night.”

And then, he went on to describe everything he went through that restless evening. He said, “I kicked the blankets on the floor, turned my pillow upside down. I never, never did before.. but I was tossin’ and turnin’, turnin’ and tossin’... toss and turn all night.”

He said, “I jumped out of bed, turned on the light, pulled down the shade... went to the kitchen for a bite. . . Rolled up the shade, turned off the light, I jumped back into bed It was the middle of the night! The clock downstairs was striking four - couldn’t get you off my mind. I heard the milkman at the door... because, I was tossin’ and turnin’, turnin’ and tossin’... toss and turn all night!”

My brothers and sisters, I can’t say that I’ve ever been in love like that (except maybe the night before I was about to get married) - but in my life, I have spent many nights ‘Tossin’ - n - Turnin’ over problems!

How many know today that the troubles of life can cause you to loose sleep? Sometimes, your troubles can be so great that you pray for morning to hurry up and come, so at least you can go to work and try to forget about your troubles for a little while.

Troubles will test you and find out what you’re made of! Everyone here has had a situation, or a problem that seemed to have no solution, nor rhyme, nor reason why it was happening to you. Especially if you’re a Christian!

Sometimes it seems like when you are trying to live for God that troubles come from everywhere! Sometimes the troubles of this Christian life seem so unfair! But you must understand that “many are the afflictions of the righteous.” In other words, ‘righteous folk have to go through!’

That word “righteous” is the key word there. First of all, understand that there are two types of righteousness: One is to be “self righteous.” That means we think we are better than everyone else!

A person who thinks they are righteous because they don’t cuss, smoke, drink, or do drugs, and so on... but looks down on those who do without offering a word of Godly advice is “self righteous.” But listen... just because you don’t do any