GOD GIVES US REST
“In peace I will lie down and sleep.” Psalm 4:8
In the animal kingdom, we learn that most creatures need sleep. While bats sleep about 20 hours a day, giraffes sleep less than 2 hours. Baby whales may not sleep at all during the first few weeks after they are born, and scientists believe insects do not sleep. Sleep is very important. Children need about 10 hours of sleep every night. People who stay awake for too long can eventually die. Getting enough sleep is necessary for us to be active and alert during the day.
Too much rest isn’t good either. Proverbs tells us about lazy people who sleep all day: “How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?” (Proverbs 6:9). And again: “Do not love sleep or you will grow poor” (Proverbs 20:13).
While we sleep our bodies grow. During sleep we make new muscles and build stronger bones. Also, during sleep our body temperature is lowered and our heart beat slows down. Then, when we wake refreshed in the morning, we are ready for another day of exercise and learning.
The Bible mentions sleep. When God made Eve, he put Adam into a deep sleep. Jacob dreamt as he slept. Delilah cut Samson’s hair while he was sleeping, and young Eutychus fell asleep and dropped out of a window. We remember that Jesus’ disciples fell asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane, and we know Jesus was sleeping in the back of the boat when a storm arose.
God says that he gives sleep to his people because he loves them. Psalm 127:2 says: “He grants sleep to those he loves.” And David wrote in Psalm 4:8: “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.”
What do we do if we can’t sleep? David had a remedy for that. He wrote: “On my bed I remember [the Lord], I think of [him] through the watches of the night” (Psalm 63:6). Someone once said, “If you can’t get to sleep, don’t count sheep, just talk to the Shepherd.”
Does God sleep? Do we need to worry that when we really, really need him, he might be taking a nap? The Bible gives us a clear answer. It says: “He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:3,4).
Now the shades of night are gone
Now the morning light is come.
Lord, may we be Yours today;
Drive the shades of sin away. Amen.
From Living for Jesus by Reynold R. Kremer