Daily Devotions

Psalm 127:2 reminds us of the futility of self-reliance without trust in God’s provision:

“In vain you get up early and stay up late, sweating to make a living, because God loves us and provides for us even while we sleep.” (Psalm 127:2, adapted)

This verse challenges the relentless drive of our self-help culture and productivity mindset. It tells us that excessive toil—rising early, going to bed late, striving constantly—is ultimately in vain if it is divorced from a life of trust in God. There’s a deep restfulness available to those who believe that even while they sleep, God is at work on their behalf.

Adam Mabry, in The Art of Rest: Faith to Hit Pause in a World that Never Stops, speaks with convicting clarity:

“Whatever it is that you're thinking about right now that gets you off the hook of taking Jesus' call to rest seriously, it is probably the thing you actually love and worship more than Jesus. We refuse to rest because, at some deep level, we're convinced that if we stop, the thing for which we're really living won't be fed, pleased, or procured. If you're happier at work than in Christ, rest will never feel good. If you're more of a mother to your children than you are a daughter of the King, stopping may feel like sin.”

This is a heart-level challenge. Many of us may find our identity so entangled in productivity, roles, or performance that stopping—truly resting—feels like failure. But Psalm 127 reminds us that it is not our striving that ultimately sustains us—it is God’s loving care, even in the quiet hours of the night.

Yes, hard work is a gift, and diligence honours God. But when our efforts are fuelled by anxiety or driven by fear of inadequacy, we’ve lost sight of grace. The self-help movement, for all its insights, can unwittingly lure us into a never-ending quest for personal betterment that leaves us spiritually exhausted and emotionally empty.

Psalm 127:2 is a gentle, persistent invitation to trust. To rest. To believe that God is both provider and sustainer. It asks us to stop striving long enough to realise: we are already loved.

A Prayer:

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the gift of rest and the quiet blessing of sleep.
Thank you for your faithful provision—day by day and even while I sleep.
You have given me good work to do, and I want to serve you well.
But help me remember: without you, I can do nothing.
And through Christ, I can do all things.

Deliver me from the need to control,
from the worries that crowd my mind,
from the temptation to carry burdens alone.
Help me not to chase after fulfilment apart from you.
Teach me to rely not on my strength but on your grace.

From this day forward, may I work from rest, not for rest—
and find my true peace in your presence.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.