“I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.” – Psalm 3:5

When I was younger, endless thoughts about a certain girl called Anitah once kept me awake for two consecutive nights! True story; and for that I still give that lady a lot of credit.

Insomnia – the condition of not being able to sleep – is a multi-billion Dollar problem globally. Interestingly, it is largely categorized as a mental ailment.

Well, it is a familiar road that we have all walked on, unless you’re one of the lucky few who live in a bubble.

In our busy, stressful and high-pressure existence today, we’re all prone to sleep deprivation.

There is simply so much to do and so little time to do it that sleep has almost become a luxury to many.

And besides work and stress, there are also numerous distractions that keep us awake at night – television, smart phones, partying, movies; just name it.

Even when we eventually manage to hit the sack, some of us are so stressed that we often lament like the lover in Songs of Solomon: “I sleep, but my heart is awake …” (5:2).

Our meditation today comes from Psalm 3, which King David wrote when his own son Absalom staged a deadly insurrection that sent his father fleeing for dear life into the wilderness. Read the story in 2 Samuel 15.

Despite the unprecedented stress, anguish and shame, David asserts that he can manage to sleep in peace – even in the bush away from his cozy palace – because sleep is a gift from his God.

Implicitly, that means that there should be no excuse for sleeplessness when you have God almighty to fight your battles.

Please do your own Google search on the negative effects – both short-term and long-term – of sleep deprivation.

“God gives His beloved sleep,” says our meditation today, which directly implies that insomnia or sleeplessness is not of God. It is “vain” (foolish) to habitually deprive your body of sleep! (Psalm 127:2).

Even our Lord Jesus never missed an opportunity to take a quick nap despite a boisterous storm (Luke 8:23).

Having a shorter night might be inevitable once in a while but it is “vain” (foolish) to habitually deprive yourself of valuable sleep.

You might have heard someone quote Proverbs 20:13: “Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you shall be satisfied with food.”

However, this scripture should be read together with Proverbs 19:15 to get the right context: “Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.”

In the arid climate of Middle East, farmers must wake up early in the morning to go to the gardens to cultivate or to harvest before the sun comes down blazing.

So ‘sleeping’ is used metaphorically to refer to slothfulness, laziness and idleness.

Having a shorter night might be inevitable once in a while but it is “vain” (foolish) to habitually deprive yourself of valuable sleep.

Starting today, please do yourself a massive favour by allowing God to give your body sufficient sleep.

Prayer:

Almighty God, You give your beloved sleep. Help me not to be so foolish as to deny my body enough time to rest. For the glory of your name, Amen!