Psalms 127:2b – For He grants sleep to those He loves.
We find a reality of life among many people who work so hard and toil vigorously in the name of making a living. They often deprive themselves of sleep, and work so hard for long hours. The Word of God admonishes such people to acknowledge God to be the builder of their lives and livelihood. If we do not allow God to build for us, we toil in vain. But if we try to build it ourselves, we would find it so difficult to sleep because of the anxiety about our future. But a child of God must understand that it is the Lord who works for them. Even when they sleep, the hand of the Lord is at work for them. Their plants grow while they sleep because it is the Lord who watches over it. This is true about their jobs, business or all their affairs for themselves and their families. The Lord knows that we need sleep and rest for our bodies and minds from a day’s work. So He gives us sleep as a gift so that we can cast all our cares on the Lord and go to sleep. If we refrain from sleep, and toil and worry about our future, we won’t be able to add an iota of element to our reservoir. We must realize that unless the Lord gives us, we won’t have enough to meet our needs. But the enemy of our souls will come to advise us to use our own efforts to make more and more, even by depriving ourselves of sleep and rest. We are often challenged by the enemy to use our intelligence and ‘farsightedness’ to invest all our energies, sleep, time and other resources to make more. The Word of God admonishes us to know when to say ‘no’ to the craving for more and more. If we deprive ourselves of basic needs for our bodies and minds and work hard without saying ‘no’ to this craving for more, we would invariably accumulate more and more for ourselves. But when would we have opportunity or time to enjoy what we have? It is also true that a large part of what we make will finally go to the world to enjoy. When we look around, we can see how the financial problems of the world have eaten away the value of what God’s people claim to have been ‘gift from God’ to them! Let us not fall into the temptation to spend for the world so that the world would enjoy what the Lord has given us. Let us allow the Lord to work for us while we rest and sleep, and let us allow the Lord to strengthen us to do what He wants us to do as we recognize that the Lord is the builder of our lives and our affairs. Let Him build us and our families so that we can work for the Lord.
Dear friend, do you realize that even while you sleep, your Lord is working for you? Yes, He is at work without sleep or slumber not only to preserve you, but also to prepare for your basic needs. He wants you to work in the way He leads you while you recognize that He is your builder and watchman. He wants to give you enough sleep and rest for your bodies and minds and to give you enough time to spend with Him during the day or night. If you keep working without enough of sleep or rest, when will you have time to spend with the Lord? He has promised to give you the basics of life so as to enable you to be His witnesses in this world. He wants you to seek Him first and foremost and far above all the glittering things this world offers. He wants you to realize that all the glories this world offers you will vanish here itself. None of our worldly achievements will be in the account book of the Lord. So no matter what we earn or amass, it will have no acknowledgement in Heaven. Only what we do for the Lord will be accounted for by Him. Let us focus on what the Lord will make us do for Him as He helps us to work and earn a living. Remember, even while we sleep, He is working for us and preparing for our needs. Let us give our bodies and minds to Him to work on. Let us enjoy the sleep and rest that He wants us to have so that we will be rejuvenated to work for Him, and also to work in His hands as instruments of righteousness in a sphere of His choice primarily as His witnesses and then on to earn a living to live for His glory and honor.
Like 18:27 – And Jesus said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God”. Thought for TodayGod does great things to meet the needs of His children while they enjoy His gift of rest and sleep.
