Healing for the exhausted begins with a life surrendered to Him as Lord. It requires an adequate diet that feeds the body its need rather than feeding its fleshly indulgence that is set to steal, kill, and destroy an effective life of surrender. And the body needs to move. Exercise aides ones ability to truly rest. Today, as we continue our look at the seven healing balms to heal the exhausted, we see our need of restful sleep.

Sleep! Oh how it seems to elude us when we need it most. It sounds weird, but exhaustion can actually hinder ones ability to sleep. One, it makes us feel like we can’t sleep, our mind being unable to relax. And exhaustion messes up the body’s chemistry, truly robbing our ability to sleep. Two, exhaustion robs our desire to cook or to eat in healthy ways, causing bodily issues that hinder sleep. And three, it robs of energy to move, causing us to sit too much, which makes our bodies ache, and robs our ability to enter the type of sleep cycle that aids restoration.

Sleep is important, and the lack of it makes one dysfunctional. I don’t know of much worse than being so tired, I can’t function, and I am that a lot these days. Like with food, the right type of sleep fuels the body’s needs. During sleep is when everything from cells to organs, go through a time of recuperation, rejuvenation; the old goes out, behold, new things come.

With Johnny’s schedule (working 8 or 9 AM to 9 or 10 PM, Monday through Thursday), coupled with his health issues that threaten his life, leaving us to desire to spend as much of our precious time together as possible, we go to bed late and get up early. However, sleep is necessary for health and healing, and the type of sleep needed begins with entering God’s rest.

God calls us to His rest, which is necessary for health and healing. We sleep best when we are good at entering that rest. Entering God’s rest requires two things of us (see Hebrews 1-4): the first necessary thing on our part is faith that flows out of trusting belief in God. Second is our obedience to Him that flows out of our love for and faith in Him. When we fail to enter this rest, that is when we most frequently fall prey to an uneasy conscience, worry, fretting, questioning, plotting, and planning that robs of restful sleep.

We must be still and know that God is God. Then we must go to bed. Father is showing me my need to not allow myself to be the cause of our staying up later than is necessary. When it is necessary to be up late, a nap the next day is a good habit to follow.

Sleep is necessary, and the right type of sleep that cycles normally through all the stages of sleep is vital to healing rest. Our body cycles through wakefulness, light sleep, deep sleep, and REM (Rapid Eye Movements), where dreams occur. All that we have covered thus far aids and fuels that healthy cycle: a surrendered life that enters his rest protects the mind so it can sleep. Right foods that feed the body its need protects from discomfort that hinders sleep. And moving the body through exercise and rewarding work heightens our body’s ability to enter a restorative rest cycle. All we have covered thus far works together as allies to restful, restorative sleep; and sleep may well be the greatest, most needful healing balm for the exhausted mind, body, and soul.