March 13: He Gives His Beloved Sleep

You’re lying in bed rehearsing tomorrow. If you can just plan it right, it’ll go fine.

Solomon wrote that unless the Lord builds the house, the builders work in vain. Then he said it’s useless to rise up early, stay up late and eat the bread of anxious toil. God gives sleep to His beloved.

That last phrase is tender. Sleep is a gift God gives to people He loves. Not a reward for finishing everything. A gift, given while the work is still unfinished.

Drinkers often have a strange relationship with rest. For years, drinking was how the day ended. Passing out took the place of falling asleep. Now, sober, the night can feel long. And in the dark, the mind tries to solve everything. It rehearses conversations. It replays mistakes. It plans and re-plans tomorrow.

That’s the anxious toil Solomon talks about. Working all night in your head, and getting nowhere.

Step Three is a decision to turn your will and life over to God. That includes the night. You can hand Him tomorrow before you sleep. Lay out what you’re worried about, ask Him to take care of it, and then let Him. You don’t have to finish solving it. He’s building the house. You’re allowed to rest.

A simple practice helps. Before bed, write down tomorrow’s worries on a piece of paper. Then pray over the list: “God, these are Yours tonight. I’ll pick up what You give me in the morning.” Turn the paper over. Leave it on the nightstand.

Then do the ordinary things that help sleep. A regular bedtime. Less caffeine in the afternoon. No screens in bed. A dark, cool room. Early recovery sleep is often rough, and it usually improves. If it doesn’t, talk to a doctor.

You are God’s beloved. That’s why He gives you sleep. Not because you’ve earned it today, but because He loves you.

One thing today

Tonight, write tomorrow’s worries on paper, pray them over to God, and turn the page face down before you turn off the light.

A prayer

Lord, I keep trying to solve tomorrow in the dark. I’m giving it to You. You’re building the house. Give me sleep, as one You love.

Handing over the night is part of Step Three.

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