Read that again, it’s not IN it’s AND
For all the jokes that are made about sleeping through sermons the bible seems to hold sleep in high regard. Psalm 127:2 says, “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” Clearly the psalmist didn’t think that burning the candle at both ends, like many of us like to do, was a good idea. Popular opinion seems to swing back and forth on the value of sleep. Right now the articles I see seem to think a good night’s rest is awfully important. That’s one of the reasons why my inability to sleep is so frustrating.
I don’t know why I can’t get to sleep and I really wish I could identify something so I could remedy it. I hope it’s not because my dastardly designs are unfulfilled like it says in Proverbs 4:16: “For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.” I’m not out to do anyone harm, quite the contrary, I feel like my lack of sleep does me harm. In the past I’ve eaten that “midnight snack” to try and make myself drowsy even though I think I’m plenty tired from a long day of work. It’s so confounding because that runs counter to what Ecclesiastes 5:12 says about the relationship between working and having plenty to eat. “Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.” I find myself envious of those who can nod off easily.
Too often it’s tough for me to get to sleep and almost as hard for me to stay asleep. From a practical perspective I know that my work and my mood both suffer when I don’t get enough rest. I wish I experienced what it says in Psalm 3:5, “I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.” I’ve developed this weird thing where I wake up 90 minutes or a couple hours after falling asleep and feel like I’ve slept all night. Again, I wish I could put my finger on why this happens as much as why I can’t get to sleep but it escapes me also. Maybe I have unresolved “issues” and can’t get the peace and safety I require. Psalm 4:8 says, “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Who knows what kind of insecurities are rattling around in my head that I don’t know about or what fears? I wish I had the assurance that Proverbs 3:24 provides: “If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.”
So what is it? Do I need peace or courage? Are there some deep dark secret desires I’m not fulfilling that keep me awake, or do I just need to work harder and eat less? Maybe I’m just insecure. Who knows? I know for certain that I need sleep and it seems like more frequently I’m not getting it. I guess I’ll just have to keep trying; maybe I should download some sermon podcasts.
Unfortunately the good book doesn’t provide a cure for insomnia nor being unable to stay asleep but it is comforting to know the bible is pro-sleep. If you know someone who doesn’t value their rest maybe they should know these things. Feel free to share this with them.
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