Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, sit up late, eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep.     Psalm s 127:1-3

Sometimes I write blogs for myself, hoping that they may help others. This is one of those blogs.

When we do something in vain, it means producing no results or making useless efforts. It can also mean doing something to promote ourselves or bring about pride, which we know is not good.

In verse 2, when it says unless the Lord builds the house, or unless the Lord guards the city, it is in vain. This refers to the things we do out of vanity. This may include keeping your yard or your house meticulously tidy.

I wish I kept my house, car, and yard immaculately clean, but I don’t. This often causes me stress, which can wreck my sleep habits.

What does it mean when it says unless the Lord builds the house, or keeps watch over the city, it’s in vain? It means that anything we do without consulting God and getting his help is done in vain. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us we should trust in the Lord with all our heart, not rely on our own understanding. It goes on to say we should acknowledge Him in all we do, and He will guide us on the right paths.

I don’t know about you, but this getting up early and eating the bread of sorrows speaks directly to me. I can’t say I stay up late because I tend to be the early to bed, early to rise kind of person. But I can tell you, I often eat the bread of sorrows, feeling like I just can’t get everything done.

One thing I try to remember is Matthew 6:33, which tells me to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and He will provide all we need. And we need rest. Even God rested for a day after creating the universe in 6 days.

There are numerous passages where Jesus had to go outside a town to rest because the crowds were descending on Him. He was asleep on the boat when the storm hit in Mark 4:35-41.

Jesus told His disciples in Mark 6:31, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.

Proverbs 3:24 says, “If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.”

Many verses warn against being lazy; we should not be lazy. But as human beings, we need rest. We need to take time during the day to simply relax. We need to be sure to get sleep. Numerous health issues can arise if we don’t get enough sleep.

If you find yourself running around like a chicken with your head cut off and being so keyed up when you lie down at night that you can’t sleep, you may need to try to do things differently. Call on Jesus to help you. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30 to come to Him when we are weary and heavy laden with burdens, and He will give us rest. He tells us we can learn from Him and take His yoke because His burden is light.

As human beings, we need rest. When Jesus was here on earth, He rested. I’m not saying we should neglect our homes and our families; I’m simply saying we may need to put some other things on the back burner. Put God first and trust in Him to guide you to do the things you need to do. But you can also ask Him to help you to eliminate those things you don’t need to do.

Ask Him to help you to manage your time in a way that allows you time to rest. He wants you to get rest. I have come to realize that if we don’t get rest, we are no good to anyone. So, make time to rest.

Have a great day!