First published October 9, 2015
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the mountains - where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel will never slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm - he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Sometimes, there's nothing left to do.
You've explored all options. Worked. Tried. Called. Talked. Listened. Read. Wrote. Watched. Prayed.
And maybe it's not enough. Sleep still won't come. So you toss, turn, roll, sweat, weep, wait. But staying awake won't get any more done. And it fully succeeds in robbing tonight and tomorrow. Tonight of its dreams and tomorrow of its promise.
But you don't need to carry the burden anymore. Because the God who created the night and the day never sleeps. He doesn't slumber. He can't. Because He's watching over you.
Once upon a time, God separated the light from the dark. There was evening and there was morning - the first day. That first day began with evening.
And because He always finishes what He starts, He kept working the next day. And the next day. And the next day. And the next day. Each day in the very beginning was marked by evening and morning. Evening was always first.
When your day is ending and you've exhausted all options, He is just getting started. He is working while you sleep. His best work is done when you are at rest. While you are resting, He is readying. Under the cloak of darkness, when you cannot see, He is fighting on your behalf. He is aligning the circumstances of your life. He is scripting the details that will weave together so magically that your breath will be taken away when you awaken one day to realize just how well He knows you. Better than anyone else. Better than you know yourself.
Close your mind to what is beyond your control, your grasp, your reach. All that is outside your ability to comprehend. Tame your thoughts. Whatever is hard or half-finished is held in His hands. All the days that came before you and the ones you haven't lived yet are held there, too. Breathe in deeply the truth that as you are settling in, He is rising up.
So sleep. Rest your head and close your eyes because the heavens are rustling and beginning what only they can finish.
You can sleep because He never will.
