Sleep

by Chris Simmons

Many of us don’t get the sleep we need. Sometimes we suffer because we don’t go to bed when we need to and sometimes we are afflicted when we try to get some sleep and find ourselves unable to do so. Sleep is not only critical to our physical health but it is something the word of God addresses and is important so that we can have the strength we need to do the will of God. The word of God addresses sleep from several different perspectives that we would do well to consider.

First of all, the Bible addresses sleep from the perspective of having the faith, peace, and contentment we need to get the sleep and rest our bodies need. We read in Proverbs 19:23, “The fear of the Lord leads to life, so that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.” The word “sleep” (NASV) in this verse means “to stop over, to pass the night” (BDB) or “to stop (usually overnight)” (Strong). The word for “satisfied” means “satiated” (Strong’s) or “abounding” (BDB). It seems counter intuitive that fear would enable one to “sleep satisfied.” Usually, our fears keep us from sleeping and passing the night, but the difference is that this fear is about reverence and respect for a God who watches over and protects us rather than being frightened or scared. If we fear, respect, and revere God, we will do His will and by doing His will, we will avoid the trouble and evil that causes us to fret and worry and keep us awake. When we fear God, we can go to sleep knowing that our life – no matter what our temporal circumstances may be – is full (satiated) due to our fellowship with God.

It’s the concept of being “blessed” which stands in contradistinction to our modern understanding of happiness which is dependent on our temporal circumstances of life. “Blessed” – as we read of it in Matthew 5:3-11 is from the Greek word makarios which is not based on how we feel (like happiness) but how God views and blesses us with His approval, love, and care, regardless of how we are treated in this life. Spiros Zodhiates, in his Complete Word Study Dictionary, provides the following definition of “blessed,” “possessing the favor of God, that state of being marked by fullness from God. It indicates the state of the believer in Christ … Makarios is the one who is in the world yet independent of the world. His satisfaction comes from God and not from favorable circumstances.” Thus, we see that we can go to sleep at night fully satisfied because we are blessed of God with His fellowship, love, and care.

We are to live in such a way that our peace from God (Philippians 4:7) allows us to go to sleep at night contented and safe knowing that whatever happens, we are in a right relationship with God. David wrote in Psalms 4:8, “In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For Thou alone, O Lord, dost make me to dwell in safety.” The word “safety” refers to the idea of a place of refuge which is a place of security. To the child of God who is living according to His will, and who takes refuge in Him, our sleep is to be a time of peace. The word for “peace” is the Hebrew word shalom which refers to the idea of completeness, welfare, and health. If we have sought to please God in all of our words, thoughts, and actions each day, repenting of our sins whenever it is necessary, we can go to sleep in peace knowing we are spiritually safe.

Consider also the inspired words of Solomon in Proverbs 3:21-24, “My son, let them not depart from your sight; keep sound wisdom and discretion, so they will be life to your soul, and adornment to your neck. Then you will walk in your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” There are two results when we keep God’s word and make it an intimate part of every day of our life. First he says that we’re not to be afraid which refers to a lack of fear and dread. Second, he says that our sleep will be “sweet” – that is, it will be pleasant. With our conscience at peace, we can truly enjoy the rest God grants to us.

Also look at Proverbs 6:20-22 where Solomon records, “My son, observe the commandment of your father, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother; bind them continually on your heart; tie them around your neck. When you walk about, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk to you.” If parental wisdom will do so, how much more so with the wisdom that comes from our heavenly Father? When kept and observed, God’s word is presented as a watchman over us while we sleep.

Also think about Ecclesiastes 5:12, “The sleep of the working man is pleasant, whether he eats little or much. But the full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep.” In general, hard work will produce good sleep. Even more so, when we are “abounding in the work of the Lord” (I Corinthians 15:58), we can look forward to sleep that is “pleasant” or sweet. Sleep that is “pleasant” is to be a product of our hard work and is not to be the goal of our life, as the scriptures warn of those who sleep simply because they are lazy and apathetic. We read in Proverbs 19:15, “Laziness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle man will suffer hunger.” Again in Proverbs 24:30-34, “I passed by the field of the sluggard, and by the vineyard of the man lacking sense; and behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles, its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction. ‘A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,’ then your poverty will come as a robber, and your want like an armed man.” The sleep of a child of God is pleasant because we have actively served God and our brethren and neighbor through the “strength which God supplies” (I Peter 4:11) as “God’s fellow workers” (I Corinthians 3:9).

Finally, consider the example of this found in Acts chapter 12, when after the apostle James had been put to death for his faith, since it pleased the Jews, Herod had Peter arrested also. With the expectation of the same fate of James the following day, we read in verse 6, “And on the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison.” How is it that Peter could find the peace of mind in such trying times to actually get some sleep? Is it not because of his faith in God and the promises God has made through His word of an eternal reward for the faithful? Or, as we read in Hebrews 13:5-6, “‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,’ so that we may confidently say, ‘The Lord is my Helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?’” Is it not because of his fellowship with God and the fact he had bound God’s word continually upon his heart? Is it not because of his dedication to the work of the Lord?

The point is not just about getting sleep. It’s about living with such faith, peace, hope, and contentment that we are not troubled by the things of this life and that we can sleep knowing that we are truly in fellowship with God. The goal is that, when our days on earth are done, and our physical lives end in eternal sleep (John 11:1-13; I Thessalonians 4:13-15), through our faithful obedience we are sure of the “crown of life” (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10) that God has promised to us.