The Gift of Sleep

Psalm 127:1–2

Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; for He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.     NASB

 

     That pictures the only way to true security and success. It’s relying on the Lord’s oversight, the Lord’s blessing, the Lord’s provision. We can work hard, we can build, we can stay awake, we can lose sleep and be so busy with all that we are seeking to accomplish and put all our effort into it, but without the Lord’s blessing it will come to nothing. There is no security outside of God, His blessing and His provision.

     But if we are laboring in the blessing and the provision, in the will, of the Lord then there’s that sweet and beautiful promise, “He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.” When you’ve done what God requires you to do, you can lie down and sleep, you can relax. You don’t have to stay awake and worry, because God gives even while you’re asleep. The results of your labors will be apportioned to you.

     You see, ultimately we don’t depend on our own effort, we depend on God’s faithfulness, and God’s faithfulness is committed to reward that which we do in His will. If we build in the will of God, the house will stand. If we watch in the will of God, the city will be secure. Security is found only in God.
 

—Derek Prince

To listen to Derek's original audio on our website click here.