Unless Jehovah builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless Jehovah guards the city,
The watchman keeps watch in vain.
It is vain for you to rise up early,
To lie down late,
To eat the bread of toil;
For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.
— Psalm 127:1-2
Some translations of verse two say, “All the same, He gives to His beloved while they sleep,” while others say that the Lord “gives sleep.”
In other words, Solomon is saying, “Don’t you know that you are His beloved? You don’t need to labor so hard or be so consumed. Instead, you should just go to sleep. Don’t work so hard. Don’t do so much. The Lord wants you to rest.” In our human life we can work and be consumed for many days on end, but after just one good night of sleep we are completely refreshed. This is the Lord’s desire for us. Because we are His beloved He wants to give us rest.
Adapted from The Journey of Life, pages 66-67.
Tomorrow: “Trying Too Hard to Build”