Sleep In Peace

We have enjoyed uncharacteristically wet weather in Sydney for the past several days.  Sydney has been shrouded with thick grey clouds and a steady, light drizzle, a complete shift from the last weeks of warm temperatures and rising humidity.  The seasons seem a little confused.

When I opened the Word this morning, I read Psalm 4:8:  "I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety."  In the United States, Thanksgiving is being celebrated across the country.  How many things do we take for granted God has given us, even something like peaceful sleep!  Did you ever thank God for a restful night of sleep?  It is God who enables us to sleep soundly and wake up refreshed.

There have been well-documented cases of celebrities whose deaths have been linked to desperate attempts to simply sleep in peace.  Marylin Monroe, Heath Ledger, and Michael Jackson are tragic cases numbered among them.  I suppose there are an infinite amount of reasons people struggle to sleep.  But good sleep, like all other wholesome things we need and enjoy, is a gift from God.  Psalm 127:1-2 reads, "Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. ² It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep."

Sleep in humans is an interesting study.  From articles I've read over the years, even experts can't explain why we need to sleep.  The brain can be more active during sleep than when we are awake!  But it is no secret that human function is greatly impaired when the body is deprived of sleep.  Just like everyone needs sleep, we all need the love of God.  God gives us love, grace, and sleep - not to mention everything that pertains to life and godliness.  Sometimes we fall asleep unwittingly, but God's love must be consciously received.  When we repent and trust in Jesus Christ as our Saviour, we are born again and ushered into God's beloved.

You don't need to be a Christian to enjoy a wonderful night's rest, but Christians ought to recognize that even the gift of sleep is received by the grace and goodness of God.  He allows the rain to fall on the just and the unjust.  He gives all benefits and blessings that people might recognize His goodness and trust in Him (Rom. 2:4).  Thank God for the rest He graciously gives!