SLEEP DEPARTURE PART 3
Scripture Reading - Genesis 31:40 KJV
Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
There are times in everyone’s life that the circumstances of life keep you from sleep. Sometimes the circumstances are beyond our control like in the example mentioned in the verse. In this verse of the Holy Bible Jacob the servant of God was employed by Laban his uncle (on his mother’s side). Since Jacob was under to tutelage of his father Isaac he knew how to work hard without strict supervision. Also, being a servant of God he knew about working in excellence by showing integrity in his decisions to honor his supervisor. In this case watching over the assets of his employer was more important to Jacob then getting a good night’s sleep. Today, this is still happening on a regular basis but the remedy will vary depending on the type of job you have and your knowledge about sleep. In the example above “sleep departed” because of the uncomfortable conditions of cold weather coupled with trying to remain alert. This was not an everyday occurrence but sometimes if thieves or beast were lurking about Jacob had to stay vigilant in guarding the flock. Predators plan on stealing and killing at night because they are harder to detect. This sense of responsibility kept Jacob motivated to stay-up watching out for the assets (cattle, sheep, etc…) of his employer even in dangerous conditions. The cold weather will make anyone shake and shiver if enough time is spent in that environment. However, we must praise God in the good times and elevate our praise in the tough times. We call to remembrance the scripture in Psalms 30:5b, “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning”. The morning always brings a new day in which we plan on having a good night’s sleep. It is not God’s Will for you to have to endure unusual circumstances on your job for weeks at a time. Most people and employers know that prolonged physical demands on the physical body without proper rest will result in physical breakdown and in some cases accidental death. So it is in your best interest and your employers to keep these types of scenarios to a minimum. If you find yourself in a sobering situation of working late because of a usual occurrence at work be sure to keep your praise to God consistent and calculated. Which means you praise God on purpose because your body will want to rest. Since you are at work you may not be able to read your Holy Bible and pray in tongues out loud. However, you can quietly (to yourself) praise God softly making melody in your heart to the Lord. This attitude of praise with soft expression will bring additional life (a quickening) to your body to keep you alert and focused until your next scheduled time of rest. Although sleep may depart for a normal period of rest it (the spirit of sleep) will quickly return when called upon for duty. Remember “sleep departure” is only a temporal situation because “your sleep” is eternally yours in Christ Jesus. Amen.