Proverbs 3:24-26 

²⁴When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. ²⁵Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, ²⁶for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.

Haven’t heard

Have you ever been apprehended for driving over maximum speed limit?

A senior citizen drove his fancy car over maximum speed limit when a traffic officer flagged him down. “If you can give me a reason that I have not heard before, I will let you go,” the officer told him. “I was trying to determine how fast this fancy car accelerates, and I enjoyed it. By the time I remembered to see the odometer, you were right next to me,” the traffic violator senior citizen said. The officer dismissed him.

Some traffic officers are lenient. Other traffic officers are very strict. Sometimes, when motorists expect strict traffic officers would issue ticket, they may follow traffic rules more carefully. If traffic officers are lenient and not very strict, there’s tendency to abuse traffic rules and regulations. If reckless driving is disregarded, it causes confusion.

Nevertheless, there will always be reckless drivers. Some drivers violate traffic laws intentionally; and, there are accidental violators. Similarly, believers of God can still violate his laws intentionally or accidentally. Drivers who are Christians may try their best to follow traffic rules and regulations, but still get into accidents. Why?

Accidental traffic violations should remind us that we are limited in our efforts; we cannot be perfect on our own abilities. We can still sin even if it is not intentional.

We believe what this statement in 1 John 1:8-10, ⁸If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

You have heard people say, “Practice makes perfect!” But in the real meaning of perfection, we can never be perfect on our own effort even if we practice all the times.

The Holy Spirit of truth convinces us that we cannot totally rely on our effort to be perfect. When we sense our need of help from the Lord, his Holy Spirit convinces us to depend upon him. Transformation in our life follows when we practically trust Christ; and his Holy Spirit inspires us to testify of his transformational work in us.

What do you readily imagine when Jesus Christ invites us in Matthew 11:28-30? ²⁸Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Many believers suggest that this passage pertains to rest of our soul. Can you accept that God is also concerned about sleeping habit? Do you pray for sweet sleep?

1. Sweet

²⁴When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

The phrase “your sleep will be sweet,” should teach us that the Lord is also concerned about sleeping habit; he wants us to have sweet sleep. Sweet sleep is practical bonus of godly wisdom exhibited in sound judgment and discretion.

Is it not very common for everyone to greet others, “Good night?” Many would wish others, “Have sweet dreams,” right? As much as we desire goodnight sleep or sweet dreams, “Have you ever seriously prayed for goodnight rest or sweet dreams?”

Some practical results of preserving sound judgment and discretion is glory, safety and avoidance of possible terrible decision; sweet and sound sleep is included bonus. Sleeping is most cherished to recuperate or recover strength when we are tired. Yet, there are individuals who just cannot fall asleep even when they are very tired.

Do you have any trouble sleeping at night? How do you get goodnight sleep?

There are many creative ideas that may provoke people to consider them. Project in school or at workplaces may keep them awake at night. People are worried how to sustain their lifestyle; worries that they might not attain their dream for their selves. Others, worry of possible unpleasant results of their decisions. Worry is human nature.

When Christ instructed us not to worry, he knows our human tendency to worry. Certainly, we still face many uncertainties in life. Does worry go away when our faith in Christ is active? Do we experience rest in him? When we rely upon Christ, he helps us to make sound judgment and discretion which is best exhibited in our choice of righteous lifestyle, so that we don’t worry about safety. And if we feel secured, we’ve got sweet sleep.

You’re very blessed, if you always have sweet sleep. Have you heard someone say that, it’s normal for older adults to be awake at night? That must be tiring, right?

What do you normally do when you can’t sleep at night? Do you watch TV show? Do you read your Bible? Do you pray for you to get to sleep? Some Christians pray for things that may come to mind: Work, studies, ministries, ambitions and many others.

Can you agree to what it says in Ecclesiastes 3:12-13? ¹²There is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. ¹³That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.

It is gift from God to be satisfied in everything we do—at home, work, school, park, grocery store as well as celebration, travel or leisure. And remember to thank and praise the Lord in your quiet moments or when we gather as local church. A grateful life serves as our practical proof when we testify of the goodness of the Lord.

Keep praying that worry or fear of sudden disaster won’t disturb you anymore.

2. Sudden

²⁵Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, ²⁶for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.

King Solomon was the author of this proverb, and it is possible that the Holy Spirit warned about disregard of the Lord’s instructions. The chronicled lifestyle of kings in Israel should serve as practical exhibits of what may happen when sudden disaster or calamity happens. Wickedness will result to destructive doom that the Lord decreed.

But when kings made sound judgment and discretion, the Israelites were safe. Those who trusted in the Lord were secured. Previously it says in Proverb 3:23, ²³ Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble.

King Hezekiah

After King Solomon died, succeeding generations had been occasionally attacked. Before Sennacherib king Assyria attacked Jerusalem, he sent messengers; they told King Hezekiah to surrender. They warned him that King Sennacherib will destroy Jerusalem just as he destroyed all other countries, and their gods had not saved them.

King Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers of the king of Assyria. He went to the temple and spread before the Lord and prayed for deliverance.

Pertaining to Sennacherib king of Assyria, the Lord assured King Hezekiah of their safety through Prophet Isaiah in 2 Kings 19:32-36, ³²“He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it. ³³By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city, declares the Lord. ³⁴I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.”

³⁵That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! ³⁶So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.

King Hezekiah had his share of failures in his life and kingship, but he was very prayerful. The Lord saw his sincerity and delivered him from sudden disaster.

In our generation, we should pray that other nations won’t attack our country. Yet, we also hear reports that nations attack other nations. Meaning, we have no idea about the exact plans of leaders of other nations toward our nation. Will they attack?

Nobody has expected the covid-19 to become pandemic before it happened and affected everyone around the world. Who may expect natural calamities like tornado, earthquake, typhoon or wildfire won’t visit us anytime soon? Seasonal flood, snowstorm may still confuse anyone as well as recession or drought. This world has calamities.

Sudden or not, disaster may happen anytime, anywhere. And, worry may confuse individuals to be scared of possible calamity but Christ prepared perfect heaven for us.

By faith in Christ, we receive godly wisdom. Godly wisdom is best displayed in sound judgment and discretion to trust that God keeps us from a trap of fear and worry.

Practical bonus of faith in the Lord includes sound and sweet sleep at night.

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