Psalm 127:2 contains a bit of wisdom for those of us who are, at times, anxious. “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives sleep to his beloved.” (NSRV) An alternative translation in the footnote says “he provides for his beloved during sleep.” In either case it is a call to let go of our anxiety and rest in the providential care of God. While a sleepless night may be as Ebeneezer Scrouge says “a bit of undigested potato;” it may also be the result of our own anxiety. We may be kept awake by our worry about our families, or about our health. We may worry about world conditions, fearing war or international disaster. We may fret about money or the lack of it. We may wish that the future would be more secure or more predictable. Many of the worries that plague us are beyond our power to affect. Two o’clock in the morning is never a good time to ponder difficult questions. If we could but remember that God loves and can give us the confidence to relax and rest even in the midst of our fears. “Fear not, I am with you!” speaks firmly to our anxiety. Let’s take some deep breaths and relax in the loving arms of God, and let him give us rest.