I am tired today. It has been a whirlwind of meetings and back to school functions for the past few weeks since we got back from Christmas break. I am actually looking forward to going to sleep tonight. My body needs to rest. How about you? Does sleep come easy for you, or is going to sleep a burden? The Bible actually speaks on sleep several times, and scripture shows us that sleep is a gift from the Lord. This past week I came across this verse from Psam 127:2 ” In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to[a] those he loves.” Have you ever thought about sleep as a gift? I have several close friends who can’t seem to sleep. Anxious thoughts usually keep them up. It is very frustrating to try to sleep but not be able to. Most of the time I am able to fall asleep easily and sleep well. I have always just thought I was lucky. I didn’t think about it as a gift from the Lord. One of the reasons God does give those he loves good sleep is because He provides a way for us to “rest in Him.” We don’t have to worry about tomorrow, because God is for us. He hears our prayers, and He is already acting on our behalf. While I think it is normal to have thoughts about what tomorrow will be like, those who can give their cares to the Lord will be able to trust that he will work things out for our good. We can trust that Jesus is already there. Bodily sleep is God’s gift to his beloved. We owe it to his goodness that our sleep is safe (Psalm 4:8), that it is sweet, Jeremiah 31:25, 26. God gives us sleep, and when we awake we can use the refreshment we have by sleep in his service. He gives his beloved sleep, that is, quietness and contentment of mind, and comfortable enjoyment of what is present. He gives us a comfortable expectation of what is to come. Our care must be to keep ourselves in the love of God. When we spend our waking hours pursuing God through our work whatever that work looks like, we will find rest. The verse that comes first is critical for us to remember if we want to experience good rest. Our daylight hours need to honor the Lord not serve the world or our flesh.
How wonderful it is to know that we can “open our hands and release tomorrow to Him.” Thank you!
Love this!! I loved the reminder that we are given sleep to be refreshed in order to do the things he calls us to do.