Do you feel exhausted? Are you spending excess amount of money on sleep aids? Does the word Melatonin make you pause and pay attention? Sleep is major part of a saint's life. We are suppose to spend anywhere from eight to ten hours asleep every twenty-four hours. But many are not getting sufficient shut eye. Insomnia, sleep apnea, and other nightly disorders disrupt over an estimated 100 Million people. What is the cause? What is the solution? Doctors have some answers and consulting a medical physician sometimes is needed, but first should we consider another answer?
Sleep surprisingly is a topic of the scriptures. The most famous scripture on it is from Savior Himself, "Come to me all of you who are heavy laden and weary and I will give you rest. For my burden is lite and my yoke is easy, lean on me because I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:38). Lets dissect this scripture. Jesus says to come to Him with our weariness and heavy loads, He then says that in contreast his burden is light and his yoke is easy. He then says lean on Him, rest your cares, hurts, and burdens on Him, and find rest in Him. Then He says he is Gentle and humble of heart which describes how He receives us, that his gentle care and humility will bring rest to our souls. If you want my honest opinion, this is the answer to most of the sleeping problems on Earth.
So many of us carry heavy loads, burdens and yokes. Our work life, our social life, our family life, our friendships, and all the cares that form a yoke on our shoulders cause us a lack of sleep. I am not stranger to insominia and sleep apnea, both have caused me grief. I realized that often I would go to bed with worries, anxieties or repressed feelings and as a result I did not truly rest. I had not placed my heavy laden heart in Christ's care, nor exchange my yoke for Yeshua's yoke. Sleep is vital to our spiritual and physical lives. Without rest we do not function well. Our spiritual life is impacted by sleep deprivation. Our enemy, the devil preys upon those who have not had sufficient sleep. Its harder to resist temptations, rebuke and pray, and keep from raging and other intemperate behavior when one is tired and weary from a lack of rest. In fact, a tactic in military is to sleep deprive captors tell they break.
Our Lord however does not wish for us to be restless and lack sleep. No in contrast the Psalmist David, a Man after God's own heart, "In vain do those who rise up early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat, for He (God) grants sleep to those he loves or to his loved ones." (Psalm 127:2). This is paralleled by another verse, "The sleep of the laborer is sweet, whether they eat much or little, but as for the rich, their abundance permits not rest." (Ecclesiastes 5:12). This second Scripture form Solomon the Wise has a profound observation. Those who work for their wages and are content in much or little rest easily because they Trust the Almighty for their provision. The Rich in contrast worry about their riches and fear losing them, thus lacking ample rest. I know some very wealthy people and this is exactly how they live, they worry about their finances every second, they have millions but eat like mice in fear of losing their abundance. The irony is they could enjoy much more than the laborer when it comes to finer things and foods, but they won't because they are slaves to sleepless worry over their money. Money is major factor in the restless generation. In fact, David and Salmon's words mingle well, "The sleep of laborer is sweet, whether they eat much or little. In vain do men rise up early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat, their (the rich's) abundance permits not rest but God grants sleep to his loved ones."
Christ Jesus also slept. It says, "Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The Disciples woke Him up and said, "don't you care if we drown?" (Mark 4:38). There was a great storm and the Disciples were afraid as they tried to get the ship to shore. Jesus wakes up and rebukes the storm and turns to the Disciples to say, "Why were you afraid? Do you have not faith?" (Mark 4:40). There are many analogies, allegories, and sermons that have been made regarding the storm. Some interpret it as a spiritual storm in which the Disciples were doing battle, but lost their trust. But I believe it was literal. When Jesus said, "Why were you afraid?" He raises a good question, and his following words, "Do you have no faith?" points right to the problem. If the Disciples trust and believe in Jesus as Christ, Lord, and God, then why should they fear a storm? For one Jesus is not going to drown, unless they lack faith in Him. This is the heart of matter, Jesus is pointing out their unbelief and that they failed in faith (in trusting Him to be who He is). Notice that Jesus was sleeping, so God knew is was safe, but the Disciples were awake battling with the stresses of the storm. Perhaps this is a message to the sleep deprived? Maybe we need to take Jesus' lead and lay down for nap and go to sleep by His side, then stay up all night or up to the wee hours in morning worrying about the storms in our lives.
Finally, King Solomon speaks of sleep being tied to Wisdom and walking securely in your way (integrity). First let me establish that Solomon said, "All wisdom comes from the Lord." (). Now I shall share the scripture of sleep and wisdom,
- "My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight. , preserve sound judgment and discretion; they will be life to you and ornament around your neck. Then you will walk on your way securely and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down , you will not be afraid, when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet." (Proverbs 3:22-25).
We can see through Scripture a prescription for sweet sleep. It is going to Jesus with heavy burdens and yokes, trusting in God's Wisdom and walking in secure paths (in integrity), and not toiling over riches or food out of fear. In short trusting the Lord Jesus Christ is the sure way to sweet sleep. If we hand over our worries, anxieties, troubles, burdens, and yokes to God when we go to rest, we shall not be eaten in the night by those things. For the True Triune God watches over us and orders are every step, so why should we be afraid? Do not be like the Disciples who in storm lost faith, but instead put your faith in the Lord who gives His "loved ones sleep."
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