Physical Rest for the Saints (Psalm 127:2)

In verse 2 the psalmist is thinking of the saint who upon realizing the need to build the house, and protect the city purposes to achieve this by depriving himself of sleep (rising early), and investing long hours in toilsome labor (to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows). In other words, he is assuming more of the responsibility for results than he should. The psalmist emphasizes two great truths he needs to consider:

1. To attempt to produce spiritual results within our own efforts is vain.

2. Sleep is a blessing from the Lord to His beloved.

The fact every child of God must not forget is that our bodies have physical limitations. They grow tired and weary, and stand in the need of rest so the Lord has blessed us with sleep. Although the children of God focus primarily on the spiritual we must consider the physical as well. It is the physical that allows us to carry out our spiritual responsibilities! To refuse your body it’s God given benefit of sleep, even when for spiritual purposes, is to abuse the temple of God entrusted to your stewardship, and many times manifest a lack of faith in the power of God to produce results. We have said more than once that the idle saint is a defeated saint, but be sure the overworked saint is as well! Jesus at times sought rest for the disciples.

Mark 6:31-32 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.

One old preacher said it this way,” you must come apart before you come apart”.

Another said, “since God never slumbers or sleeps we ought to work the day shift, and let Him work the night shift”.

What I am trying to say is we should do our part, and rest in faith trusting God to do His part!