Ah, May!

The days are notably warmer and longer.  We start to see our summer thunderstorm pattern settle in.  We come to Graduation season, and the pace for weddings picks up as well.  Here in Southwest Florida, we finish saying “See you next Fall!” to most of our seasonal residents, and we get ready for summertime.  It’s a very transitional month.

It’s also Better Sleep Month.  So, how are you sleeping?

In a publication like this one, it’s important to mention that some sleeplessness results from serious medical issues.  Therefore, it’s important to talk to your physician if you are having a real struggle in this area.

Bur for many of us, it’s just the occasional restless night.  Believe it or not, the Word of God has something to say about our sleep.  When you consider how important sleeping is, and how much the Lord cares about us, perhaps it’s not so surprising.

Psalm 127:1-2 remind us of some important principles about sleep:

Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain.
In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.

There are three areas of concern addressed in these two verses.  First, there are projects.  Over the years, my wife and I have built several houses, and it’s a remarkably stressful project.  You’re constantly checking, questioning, examining, and fretting.   But, “unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.”

The second area of concern is politics.  In ancient times, the security of the walled city was of utmost importance.  In our lives this year, the political stakes seem incredibly high, and so both passion and anxiety are running at fever pitch.  However, “Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.”

The third area of concern is personal needs.  We’re working more hours.  We’re paying a great deal of attention to where our money comes from and where it goes, but “In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat.”

Know what all three of these areas have in common?  They can all keep you awake at night.  Who hasn’t lost a good night’s sleep over at least one of the areas above?  And yet, Scripture assures us that the Lord who loves us “grants sleep.”   Evidently, as with all good gifts ( James 1:17), sleep is His to give.

Know what else these three areas have in common?  Your sleeplessness is not going to accomplish a thing.  It won’t fix that flaw in your sheetrock, and it won’t get your candidate a single vote, and it won’t put any food on your table.  In fact, it’s likely to set you back!

So, perhaps next time you’re sleepless, you can consider that even as you sleep, the Lord is awake on your behalf.  Here’s what He has said to us in Psalm 121:1-4.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

Tonight, why don’t you hand off whatever is troubling you to the Lord?  He’s going to be up anyway, and He cares deeply about you.

McGregor Baptist Church
3750 Colonial Blvd.
Fort Myers, FL 33966
(239) 936-1754