When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Summary: There are very practical aspects to trusting in God. One of them is getting a good night’s sleep.
There are a lot of reasons a person might not sleep well. Some of them might be associated with a medical condition. Other reasons might have something to do with things like being too warm or too cold, too much noise (snoring!), or other disturbances. There is also a tendency to sleep poorly when we are afraid.
It is this last situation that Solomon refers to in today’s passage. Worry and fear are two bedmates that will keep a person up all night long, every night. They are relentless. There is no end to the frightening scenarios that worry can generate. Unnamed fear is a monster that lurks in every corner of your room and your mind. Unless you know Jesus.
I mention Jesus because he is one of the three faces of God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are the faces of God as he has revealed himself throughout history.
In Solomon’s day, God revealed himself as Yahweh, meaning “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3: 14). The great “I AM” exists apart from his creation and at the same time, the creation cannot exist apart from the Creator.
Two thousand years ago, Jesus revealed himself as the face of God in the flesh (John 10:30 “I and the Father are one”). In Proverbs 3:19, Solomon tells us, “By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations…” In John’s gospel account he writes, “Through him [Jesus] all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3). Do you see why I am equating Jesus with wisdom?
Wisdom knows the Lord, and Wisdom points us to God. Jesus does the same thing. In both cases, we are drawn into a relationship with our Creator. When this happens, we are given the gift of peace (Proverbs 3:17, John 16:33).
Barring other reasons we might not sleep, if we have God’s peace, we are not afraid. If we are not afraid, our sleep is sweet.
How much is that worth?
It is priceless.
Application: Pay attention to what Solomon is telling us about wisdom.
Food for Thought: How does wisdom keep us from being afraid?
Hi Jeff lets pray!
02-12-2022, Proverbs 3:24, How does wisdom keep us from being afraid?
Those with Wisdom know there is nothing to fear. All trials on earth and physical death lead to growth in our Lord.
A person with Wisdom understands God’s Love for them is eternal and He is Sovereign. Nothing can happen to His children without His approval. We live by faith in obedience to His will, in His strength as we endure any trials.
John 3:16, Romans 5:8, 8:28-29, 1 John 3:1-2, Ephesians 1:11
Believers have become eternal beings serving God on earth according to His will. We live knowing trials bring growth and the moment these bodies stop functioning, our eternal spirits are free from confinement and we will dwell forever in the presence of our Holy God.
1 Peter 1:23, 5:10,1 Corinthians 6:17, 10:13, Job 33:4, James 1:12
Ron,
Thank you. The wisdom you speak of is easy to say but can be hard for some of us to put into practice. It is the Holy Spirit’s work in our hearts and through warriors like yourself that inspire and grow the rest of us in our faith so that we can face physical trials with courage.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 9: 10. If we fear the Lord then we have nothing else to fear.
Rich,
Well put! When the light of the Lord breaks through, everything else fades into the background.
Would a man following God fear Jezebel?
Anon-
Interesting question! The answer, of course, is that Elijah did. 🙂
“Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.” (1 Kings 19: 3)
Why? Because his life was being threatened by Jezebel.
Does this contradict Proverbs 3:24? Let’s look at the context…
The proverbs of Solomon are all about “doing what is right and just and fair.” (Proverbs 1: 3)
In the course of life, we are confronted by choices. Should I do what God says is right or try and take advantage of the situation to my own benefit?
Solomon encourages us to do what is right and tells us that there are benefits to submitting to God. One of them is not being afraid when you lie down.
But afraid of what? Imminent threats to your well-being or afraid of the consequences of your wrongful actions.
Solomon is not telling us that we will be free from all threats or all fears, but rather we will not have the burden of certain kinds of self-imposed fears. As for those who threaten to kill you, I think Solomon would say it is wise to take precautions against being killed.
Thank you Mr. Englund.