It starts with a sneeze.

Then a cough starts or maybe even just a tickle in the back of your throat.

Then the paranoia steps in, because you can feel that you’re about to get sick. Your life is about to be undermined by something you can’t even see. Then regret sets in.

For the sake of work, you haven’t been taking care of yourself. More importantly, busy days and late nights have prevented you from getting the rest your body has been crying for.

Now your body is going to make you rest!

Psalm 127 provides some useful principles.

“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves.” (127:1-2)

There’s a reason God issued a day of rest.

Typically, if we’re not getting time to eat right, exercise or even sleep; we’re likely neglecting our spiritual needs as well. Soon enough, we’re building our house in vain.

At that point, a great way for God to get our attention is to allow an illness to take over. Once we’re in despair, we have no choice but to rest and refocus on our Lord.

Take some time to read through Psalm 127.

As we consider the past week or month, we should be asking ourselves some tough questions. How are we feeling? Are we sleeping well? Have we been taking a day of rest, to focus on the Lord, our family and our health?

If not, what’s preventing that from happening?

As we go to prayer today, maybe we should pray with our calendars open? Ask God to help us remove a few scheduled items, in order to obey His instruction and make rest a priority.

Join the Conversation, Share Your Thoughts:

How are you feeling? How are you sleeping? When’s the last time you took a day off? When’s the last time you had a true day of rest?