THE GIFT OF SLEEP

THE GIFT OF SLEEP

READ:
Psalm 121

It is vain for you to rise up early,
to sit up late...; for so He gives
His beloved sleep.  -Psalm 127:2

Sleep is essential for good health. 

Scientists don't know exactly why we need it but they know what happens when we don't get enough.  We put ourselves at risk of premature aging, weight gain, and diseases ranging from colds and flu to cancer.  What God accomplishes in our bodies while we drift off to dreamland is nothing short of miraculous.  While we do nothing, God replenishes our energy, rebuilds and restores our cells, and reorganizes information in our brains.

The reasons for not getting enough sleep are many, and some we can't solve, but the Bible indicates that overwork should not be one of them (Psalm 127:2).  Sleep is a gift from God that we should receive with gratitude.  If we're not getting enough, we need to find out why.  Are we rising early and staying up late to earn money to acquire things we don't need?  Are we involved in ministry efforts that we think no one else is capable of doing?

I'm sometimes tempted to believe that the work I do when I'm awake is more important than the work God does while I sleep.  But refusing God's gift of sleep is like telling Him that my work is more important than His.

God does not want anyone to be a slave to work.  He wants us to enjoy His gift of sleep.  -Julie Ackerman Link

The love of God is my pillow,
Soft and healing and wide,
I rest my soul in its comfort,
And in its calm I abide. - Long
********************************
If we do not come apart and rest awhile,
we may just plain come apart. - Havner

INSIGHT
Tradition says the "pilgrim psalms" (120-134) were sung as worshipers in a crescendo of praise moved uphill and then walked up the steps leading to the temple.  Psalm 120 is a prayer for deliverance from the wicked that expresses Israel's deep longing for peace.  Psalm 121 is an affirmation of confidence that God will watch over Israel and shelter His people from harm.  A rising wave of praise can draw believers into God's presence in a special way.

-Adapted from the Bible Reader's Companion

Have a blessed evening.
God Our Creator's Love Always
Unity & Peace