The LORD gives strength to His people; the LORD blesses His people with peace. Psalm 29:11 (NIV)
I tossed and turned. But sleep would not come. This happens often when I am exhausted. This night was no exception. I recited part of Psalm 127:2 and claimed it for myself, “for He grants sleep to those He loves.” I glimpsed at the clock by myself husband’s side. 12:40. LORD, please give me sleep. I have an early morning meeting and have fifteen floral arrangements to put together after work tomorrow, plus help with decorating at church, I prayed as if the LORD didn’t know. But. Sleep. Still. Eluded. Me. Something wet brushed my nose. I opened my eyes to see Luna’s face. I shouldn’t have been surprised because my son’s dog licks my nose every morning to wake me up. I remembered I had a dream,so I deduce I eventually did fall asleep in the wee hours. I dreaded how I would manage through the day. Waking up at five in the morning to keep my daily time with God meant slashing my much needed sleep. Such a temptation to snooze. But I need my time with Him more than my sleep. This brings to mind that time when Jesus admonished His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane to stay awake with Him, Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41, NIV). I definitely needed the power of the Holy Spirit to see me through the day. Wednesdays are always busy days for me at school. I start with staff meetings at 7:35 a.m. sharp. That was just the beginning for this particular day. I seldom get time to sit. I move around the classroom to ensure my students are on task, get the help they need, and understand what they are taught. For this specific day, I had volunteered to help put together the decorations for the Pastors’ Conference. This involved picking up flowers from two different stores to augment what I already ordered online, putting together fifteen floral arrangements, checking that the succulents adorning the fifteen small pumpkins and ten larger equally-bedecked pumpkins with succulents were still firmly secured. What was I thinking? This monumental task could be feasible as a weekend project or on a summer day when I am off, but on a weekday such as this? I needed not human strength, but the strength of Him who spoke the Universe into existence. And this very morning, the morning I could have chosen to extend my sleep but instead got up, He spoke to me: The LORD gives strength to His people; the LORD blesses His people with peace. This was all I needed for the day! I ran late delivering the decorations, but in the LORD’s perfect plan, I was on time. Psalm 127:2 is a verse I have heard commonly quoted when people are desperately wanting sleep and I have used on several occasions. I checked Psalm 127:1-2 to make sure I am using the verse in the right context. It says, Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watchin vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat– for He grants sleep to those He loves. God is my Provider and I can rest knowing that. He provided me the strength and what I needed for the day in the little time that I slept.