"In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat - for he grants sleep to those he loves." (Ps 127:2)
What keeps you up at night? Household chores, kids, late night projects, homework, a crying baby, hot flashes, cold sweats, emails, Facebook, video games, worries ...?
For me it's usually church work and spiritual devotions. To tell you the truth, as a pastor, sometimes I can't tell the difference: morning devotions, evening prayers in bed for those on my mind, late night sermon preparation and early morning sermon amendments, evening church-related musings while watching TV, checking Facebook and reading blogs.
Lack of sleep can catch up to you overtime. The dedicated 16 hours of dreaming up goals, strategies and tactics, in addition to daily concerns for the well-being of my family and those whom I pastor, can leave me longing for the good night's sleep that never comes.
And then the wise psalmist Solomon reminds me that all this busy work I value as devotion to my LORD might actually be in vain.
"Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labour in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain."
As I get older I am beginning to realize that even great accomplishments for God will only last a season unless God builds it, watches over it, and sustains it. If I could only embrace this divine reality I might indeed get a good night's sleep.
"LORD of Jacob, David, and Solomon, make me vulnerable and trusting enough to sleep soundly under your loving, watchful care. Amen."
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