Sleep: Repair and maintenance
He restores my soul (Psalm 23:3).
Different hormones are released during sleep; these have specific purposes in the repair and maintenance of our bodies. So it would seem sensible in our waking hours to ensure we monitor our spiritual repair and maintenance needs. In engineering, this process is essential. We live close to two large refineries, and these complex chemical processing plants are monitored continuously. But in April 2001, as we sat at lunch, there was the sound of a large explosion several miles away, and the house shook. The repair and maintenance system in one area of a refinery had failed. Happily, no lives were lost, but two people were injured, and homes were damaged.
We can relate this to our spiritual lives. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” We maintain our fellowship with God by daily seeking His presence through His word and prayer. If we don’t maintain this fellowship with God, or if we depend upon our own resources, our lives are weakened, and spiritual explosions can happen. The Lord Jesus prayed in John 17, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” We profit spiritually and practically from God’s word, which is “God-breathed” (NIV) and has a sanctifying effect. It not only highlights problems, but shows us how to correct them. It instructs us in righteousness, so that we can anticipate and avoid repeating the same mistakes, and walk with God:
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path (Psalm 119:105).
In the same way, the word of God also works to equip us to face the pressures and anxieties of life through prayer and dependence on the Lord. This in turn brings a peacefulness to our activities. In Philippians 4:6-7 we read, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Prayer leads to peace, the peace of God. If we are tired, more activity will not make us less tired. We can be tricked into thinking that more and sustained effort will resolve problems and, if we stop, everything will come crashing down around us. In 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 Paul describes the trials he passed through, adding at the end “the care of all the churches”. It is a hefty list. Yet “love, joy and peace…” pervaded his ministry. What sustained him? What does God say to us when we are in difficulty? Try harder? Put more effort in? No, He says, “Be still…lie down” – be restored (Psalm 23:2-3); “I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28); “Abide in Me” (John 15:1-17); Cast your care upon Me (1 Peter 5:7).
In our tiredness, He wants us to stop to reflect and consider things in the light of His word. He wants us to identify our anxieties and cares and cast them on Him. In this way, we experience His healing grace. His peace is known, and we receive the spiritual energy we need for His will to be fulfilled in our lives. When we came to Christ, we had faith that the Saviour had the power to bear all our griefs and carry all our sorrows. He has not changed. Why would we? By learning to cast our cares upon the Lord, we discover the depth of His care for us.
