Psalm 127:2 - Leave God Out Of The Picture And Suffer The Consequences!
Psalm 127:2 (NIV) In vain you rise early and
stay up late, toiling for food to eat - for he
grants sleep to those he loves.
Psalm 127:2 (NLT) It is useless for you to
work so hard from early morning until late at
night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God
gives rest to his loved ones.
Psalms 127:2 (ESV) It is in vain that you
rise up early and go late to rest, eating the
bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved
sleep.
Psalm 127:2 (CWR) It is useless to get up
early or stay up late, anxiously worrying about
the next meal. He will provide, and trusting Him
helps those who love Him to sleep well.
INTRODUCTION
God is not against human effort. Hard work
honors God (Proverbs 31:10-29). But working to the
exclusion of rest or to the neglect of family may be a
cover-up for an inability to trust God to provide for
our needs. We all need adequate rest and times
of spiritual refreshment. On the other hand,
this verse is not an excuse to be lazy (Proverbs
18:9). Be careful to maintain a balance: work while
trusting God, and also rest while trusting him. [Life
Application SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
Calm Dependence
Are you passionate about your job? If so,
you're among the minority - 20 percent - in the
United States. Though 65 percent say they are
"happy" with their work, the top reason people say
they are dissatisfied with their current job is
income. Employees report high employment
satisfaction in the healthcare and humanities industries,
while some of the lowest job satisfaction rates
are among parking-lot attendants, cafeteria
attendants, and dry-cleaning workers.
In today's text, Solomon, in one of the
two psalms attributed to him, described the
modern rat race almost three thousand years ago.
Meaningless work isn't just a problem in today's world.
The king, known for his wisdom, warned of low
job satisfaction for the ancient Israelites.
More broadly, human activity that did not have
God at the center was futile. No matter how
early you get up or how late you return from work,
or even how much "bread" you make, life is
pointless without God.
"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,"
Solomon warned in verse 1. Anxious workers, fretting
over their material goods, do not rest. Those who
have calm dependence on God as their priority are
promised easier sleep at night.
Do you find it difficult to rest? There
might be several factors at play, but one item
that should not be overlooked is seeking God's
ways. "Great peace have those who love Your law,
and nothing causes them to stumble" (Psalm
119:165). Before going to bed this evening, why not
kneel and commit your cares to Christ - and then
rest in His love for you.
O Lord, I give You the burdens of my day.
I ask You to guide all my activities. May all
that I do be led by Your hand. [The Most Amazing
Bible Promises by Amazing Facts]
COMMENTARY
Do not forget the Lord (1-2). Jesus warned,
"Without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5), and that
truth is illustrated in this psalm. What good is
all your working, watching, and waking if the
Lord is not with you? Long hours and sleepless
nights are a waste apart from the blessing of the
Lord. This psalm is not a plea for idleness, for
God expects you to work and watch. But He wants
to work in you and to accomplish His will
(Phil. 2:12-13). [Chapter by Chapter Bible
Commentary by Warren Wiersbe]
Usually, those that rise early do not care
for sitting up late, nor can those that sit up
late easily persuade themselves to rise early;
but there are some so hot upon the world that
they will do both, will rob their sleep to pay
their cares. And they have as little comfort in
their meals as in their rest; they eat the bread
of sorrows. (Matthew Henry's Commentary)
The point is that work done independently of
God will be futile. But a person who trusts in
the Lord will find rest. Without the Lord, all
domestic work is in vain. this verse stresses
that to work long days without divine providence
and support is futile. [Bible Knowledge
Commentary]
The emphasis is placed upon the futility of
human effort without Gods help. Mans
utter dependence on God is illustrated by
reference to basic human endeavors. Building a house
and watching over a city cannot succeed
(according to divine standards of success) if God is
not included in mans plans and efforts. Even
the diligent man who works from early morning
until late evening cannot hope for success without
Gods blessings and sanction. [Wycliffe Bible
Commentary]
COMMENTARY FROM CROSS REFERENCES
Psalm 4
David wrote this psalm as he was about to
retire for the night (v. 8). He could not do much
about the war around him, but he could do
something about the war within him. He did not want to
lie in bed and worry, so he committed himself
and his situation to the Lord.
He asked (1-3). Asking the Lord for help
is still a good way to deal with inner turmoil
(Phil. 4:6-7).
He believed (4-5). He faced his anger
honestly and gave it to the Lord (Eph. 4:26). Instead
of lying in bed and thinking about your
problems, meditate on the Lord and offer Him
sacrifices of praise.
He received (6-8). In the darkness, he
saw the face of God and received light. In his
sorrow, he discovered the gift of gladness. In the
time of battle, he received peace. God did not
immediately change the situation, but He did change
David; He can do the same for you. [Chapter by
Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren Wiersbe re Psa.
4]
"If you can't sleep, don't count sheep -
talk to the Shepherd!" [Chapter by Chapter Bible
Commentary by Warren Wiersbe re Psa. 4]
Let every part of your body be controlled by
God's wisdom (Rom. 12:1-2). Sleep is one of the
tests of faith and true surrender to God (Ps. 4).
[Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren
Wiersbe re Pro. 3:24]
Resting in the afternoon is a normal
practice in the East, and don't forget that Abraham
was nearly a hundred years old. Sometimes the
most spiritual thing we can do is take a nap! The
believer's body is God's temple and must be cared for
(1 Cor. 6:19, 20). (See Mark 6:31.) [Chapter by
Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren Wiersbe re Gen.
18:1]
Sleep
There I was! In the day the drought
consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep
departed from my eyes.
Gen. 31:40, NKJV.
So what's keeping you from getting a
good night's sleep? Is it exhausting work, such
as Jacob complained to his uncle Laban about?
Is it too much food late at night? Perhaps it
is family stress, or grief, or you name it.
If you're an adult, you know that you need
seven to eight hours of sleep each night, plus an
additional two for teenagers. At least that's what the
research seems to indicate. Furthermore, it reveals
that a major portion of that sleep should be well
before midnight. We also know that not getting
enough sleep can be fatal in many different ways.
Sleep-deprived lab animals will simply just die. People
that don't get enough sleep often fall asleep at
the wheel and kill themselves and others in
horrific vehicle crashes, or they doze off at the
controls and cause major industrial accidents. Sleep
deprivation was a major factor in the loss of the space
shuttle Challenger, the grounding of the Exxon
Valdez, and the first Staten Island Ferry crash, to
name a few. Other documented effects of sleep
deprivation are forgetfulness, emotional problems, lower
stress tolerance, lower resistance to infections
such as colds and flu, mood swings, increased
risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and
faster aging. We all know these facts. But there is
a lot we don't know yet.
What does the body do during sleep? I
mean, our heart keeps beating, we keep breathing
(respiration and heart rate actually speed up during
rapid eye movement [REM] sleep, as does brain
activity), we keep making urine, and while cellular
metabolism slows, it is not that much. So where does
the rest part of sleep come in? Oh yes, our
muscles get paralyzed during REM except for those
sudden annoying jerks!
What really happens during sleep? When
you read the scientific literature, you learn
about the body getting rest, the bones and muscles
being rebuilt, tissue being regenerated, the
immune system being strengthened, the memory being
reconsolidated, and energy levels being restored. But what
does that all mean? Most of that happens when we
are awake, too. Science has found different
levels of sleep and what the brain waves are doing,
but we don't know what is actually going on in
the body that accompanies those waves. We have
so much to learn about why sleep is so sweet.
Lord of sweet sleep, You put us to bed
each night, and something happens. Then You wake
us rested and refreshed in the morning. Thank
You. We praise and honor You. [God of Wonders by
David Steen]
The Gift Of Sleep
I lie down and sleep; I wake again,
because the Lord sustains me. Psalm 3:5
Sleep is the ultimate form of trusting
God. Going to sleep means letting go of control
over the world, trusting God to take care of
things while we're unconscious. We trust God to
sustain us while we sleep.
We need sleep to be effective so we can
be focused when we're awake. People who get
less than six or seven hours of sleep at night
have lower blood flow to the brain, which leads
to poorer decision-making ability. Dr. Daniel
Amen says getting inadequate sleep turns off 700
health-promoting genes. Therefore, sometimes the healthiest
and most spiritual thing you can do is to go to
bed.
Sleep is God's gift to us. The Bible
says, "God gives rest to his loved ones" (Psalm
127:2 NLT). If you're not getting enough sleep,
look closely at your schedule and ask God what
activities or worries you need to reevaluate or let
go.
Sleep is a blessing God gives to refresh
and replenish us. Have you accepted this gift?
[The Daniel Plan 365-Day Devotional]
CLOSING THOUGHT
True Peace
I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the
LORD sustained me. Psalm 3:5
This simple statement may not seem
remarkable - until you examine its context. David began
this psalm by crying out to the Lord: "How they
have increased who trouble me! Many are they who
rise up against me" (v. 1). The fact that - four
verses later - David could lie down and sleep is
worth considering.
Scholars date this psalm to the time when
David was fleeing from his son Absalom. Not only
was David running for his life, but the one who
wanted to kill him and usurp the throne of Israel
was his own son. In addition to physical danger,
David experienced heartache that most parents
can't even imagine.
True peace - that which we experience
despite our circumstances - comes not from the
absence of adversaries but from trusting God.
Nothing can disrupt your sense of peace when you
choose to focus on the reality of God's presence in
your life.
What enemies are pursuing you? Turn to
God as David himself did. Let his words be
yours: "But You, O LORD, are a shield for me" (v.
3). And sleep well. [Being Still With God Every
Day by Henry Blackaby]
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Waiting is an inescapable part of life in
this world. One of the hardest times to wait is
during the night, if you're having trouble
sleeping. As the darkness drags on while you're
watching for the first rays of sunlight, you can
identify with watchmen waiting for the morning.
However, no matter how long the night may feel, dawn
eventually comes. Since I created an orderly world, you
can count on the rising of the sun.
There is much to learn from this pattern
of expectant waiting followed by the dawning of
a new day. People who are struggling with
long-term problems may feel as if their suffering will
go on interminably. But for My children there
is every reason to be hopeful, even while
circumstances remain dark. Relief will come! I can change
situations and relieve suffering in an instant.
Moreover, each of My followers is on a pathway leading
to heaven.
Just as the night sometimes seems
terribly long, yet always ends in dawn, so your
journey through this world - no matter how long and
hard it seems - will definitely end in Glory!
(Psa. 130:5, 6; 17:15; Eph. 3:20, 21; Isa. 60:19)
[Jesus Today by Sarah Young]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
Psalm 4:8 - Peaceful Sleep.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2024/20240210-0858.html
Matthew 11:28 - The Invitation Of All
Invitations.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230309-0843.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
