Sleep- Where Have You Been?! Word Study Wednesday

Sleep. It probably doesn't seem like a very exciting word to define. However, I needed reminders about it. Let's face it, with electricity and media we (most of us) are a sleep deprived people as a whole. Come on now, I know I'm not the only one.

Let's Research, Reason and Relate Together... Shall We?

Webster's 1828 Dictionary:
SLEEP, verb intransitive preterit tense and participle passive slept.
1. To take rest by a suspension of the voluntary exercise of the powers of the body and mind. The proper time to sleep in during the darkness of night.
2. To rest; to be unemployed; to be inactive or motionless; as, the sword sleeps in its sheath.



Sleep Can Be Sweet. We learn in Proverbs 3:24 that, "When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet." Proverbs 3:21-24 KJV In context, Solomon is talking with his son about following the goodness of Yahweh's law, having wisdom and having discernment. Sleep may be sweet as we believers do this.


Being a good steward of sleep has not been my strong suit for quite a while. I have had a bad habit of staying up way too late. I'm reminded in Psalm 121:3 that, "He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber." Yahweh Goes Without Sleep. He is God (in Hebrew Elohim). I am not. I need sleep. I can trust Him for watching over me and my family and all of the cares we have.
  

When Sleep Isn't Good... 

 

 

However, not all sleep is good. Proverbs 6:10 tells us, "Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:" The context of this passage of Scripture is talking about not being lazy. Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines lazy as: "1. Disinclined to action or exertion; naturally or habitually slothful; sluggish; indolent; averse to labor; heavy in motion. Wicked men will ever live like rogues, and not fall to work, but be lazy and spend victuals. 2. Slow; moving slowly or apparently with labor; as a lazy stream."

Ouch.

I don't know about you, but when I go to bed too late I don't feel so quick on my feet during the day. In fact, I tend to be sluggish... moving slowly.

Excuses I Have Made:

{Courtesy Public Domain via Wikimedia}

• I am an introvert, so I need to wait for all of our children to fall asleep in order for me to have that quiet down time I need to recharge.

• Super Busy wakes up at night still, so I need to take advantage of when he sleeps to get things done (that for some reason I have thought couldn't pend but really could).

 

• I wasn't able to get blah blah blah accomplished earlier, and I need to get it done before I head to bed. Yea, so these are things I unnecessarily put on myself. 

The list really could go on... 

What I'm Reminded Of About Sleep...

{Courtesy Public Domain via Wikimedia.}

• When I do go to sleep at a decent hour, I wake up so refreshed! Even when Super Busy wakes up during the night. How can this be? I'm taking advantage of the hours he is sleeping in order for me to get some sound sleep. Ahhhhh

• I'm so much more productive during the day when I have gone to bed at a decent hour. No more moving slowly... laziness!

• I feel better all the way around when I have had the sleep I need.

• There truly are only so many hours in a day. Yahweh blessed us with the night for sleep. Yes! Sleep is a blessing! He alone can go without sleep. 

• Being diligent and a good steward of my sleep means I am taking care of myself. 

• It makes me more aware of how I need to be discerning with what I commit myself to. If I have my days so packed that I cannot focus on what needs to be done in my home and I try to make up for it by staying up late, my priorities are out of order.

• Sleep is to take rest by a suspension of the voluntary exercise of the powers of the body and mind. 

• The proper time to sleep in during the darkness of night.

• Sleep is to rest; to be unemployed; to be inactive or motionless. Yahweh has blessed me with the ability to rest from my work. Thankfully this is a daily... er... rather... nightly opportunity!

Changes I am Making...

• Getting to bed at a decent  hour,

• Making sure I stick to my priorities,

  

•  Scheduling in introvert time during daylight hours. 

• Being more productive and energetic because I've gone to bed at a decent hour.

So much of life hinges on sleep: my health, my production, my time management, my family, my obedience to Scripture in this area...


I hope that if you are reading this during the day, that you are encouraged to unplug and get to bed at a decent hour. If you are reading this at night, please get some sleep! 

Blessings!

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