SLEEP

It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrow; for so He gives His beloved SLEEP – Psalm 127:2

Psalm 127 deals with work, sleep, and home. SLEEP – sweet Sleep – is a Blessing from God: He “gives His beloved sleep” (v. 2b). God is not the author of Insomnia – inability to sleep. The first recorded sleep in the Bible was given by God (Gen.2:21). The main idea of Psalm 127 is that without God nothing is worth it in life; but when you give Him the rightful place in your life, you can rest in His blessing. When you leave the Lord out of your life, whatever you do is in vain. The word “vain” shows up thrice in this psalm. It means something that has no value or worth. The Psalmist introduced this idea through two parallel images: building of a house and guarding of a city. He then applied these to those who toil without trusting God. The first part of the psalm deals with God’s blessing on your work, and the second part, His blessing and provision in your home.

Sleep is best appreciated as a legitimate offshoot of God’s blessings upon your Work and Home. Without God, work is in vain (v.1). Here we see two kinds of work: building and guarding. This could be building a house, home, business, church, or life: “God is the Builder of everything” (Heb.3:4b). Jesus said: “without Me you can do nothing” (Jh.15:5b). God wants you to find blessing and fulfilment in your work, but this will not happen apart from Him. Without Him, work will be empty, frustrating, and in vain. Do not start anything without God: “Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established” (Pro.16:3). If God is not in it, His blessing will not be on it. You must not only start with God, you must continue with Him, if He would guard what you’ve already built. Learn to pray like Moses did: “establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands” (Psa.90:17b).

Insecurity is a chief cause of insomnia; and unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. A person might think he is invincible, that he’s got all grounds covered; but once God is left out of it, it’s all in vain. Whatever your task, whether you are building a house, raising a family, or guarding a city, put God at the center and you will find Fulfilment and Rest. Sleep is a direct consequence of a life that puts God at the center; God grants sleep to those He loves. It is useless rising early and staying up late, toiling for food to eat. There is no value in overworking yourself or staying up late, fretting and worrying. God wants you to rest in His blessing: “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me” (Psa.3:5); “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell safely” (Psa.4:8).

There’s nothing evil about working hard or long; but there’s a right way and a wrong way to work. The wrong way is to leave God out, while burning the candle at both ends. Working harder is not always the answer. Trusting God is. Don’t expect God to do your work for you; but don’t expect your work to succeed without Him. Invite Him into your work and ask His blessing on it. God wants you to work, and to work hard; but He also wants to give you REST. This is the simple message of Psalm 127: Trust God, work hard, fill and finish your day, and enjoy your sleep. Most animals are sensible enough to know when to work and when to rest. They look to the Lord to meet their needs (Psa.104:19-23). We should too. Work while it is day, and when the night comes, rest – unless you’re doing shift work or keeping vigil, and then it’s the opposite.

Jesus promised to give Rest to those who come to Him (Mt.11:28). He also slept in a boat during a storm (Mk.4:38). You can sleep at night knowing that He who never slumbers or sleeps is in control and will take care of you (Psa.121:4). When you are sleeping, He is still working. He stays awake so you can enjoy Sweet Sleep!