"When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet"
People don't tend to realize all the connections between things. We don't realize that the positive, righteous things that we do for others impact the direction of our life. We don't often see the connection between choosing to glorify God with our speech and actions and a lessening of stress and anxiety. Wisdom is that course of action that looks for the triple-win: the action, the choice, the words that cause God to be glorified, loved ones to win, and us personally to win.
Solomon points out in this proverb that how wisely you win has an impact in how sweetly you sleep. Wisdom is not the only contributor to how you sleep, but it is much bigger than you think.
afraid
This is the Hebrew word pachad, which means to dread, to be in awe. The idea here is fear that grips your life: fear of what you have done coming back on you; fear of what others will do to you; the spirit of fear surrounding you and creating scenarios that you embrace.
When a person is foolish, they expose themselves, their children, and others to circumstances that are unstable, dangerous, and fearful. Impulsive, selfish, rebellious, and proud actions move you in a direction where there are more dangerous and threatening things. It is best to just miss those experiences all together by not being anywhere near where they happen or with people who live like that.
It is a shame when the foolish choices of parents subject their children to fear every night. Don't do this. Start making wise choices and remove the cloud of fear from your own life and your loved ones’ lives. Yes, wisdom is less exciting on the front end, but it becomes far more fulfilling on the back end.
sweet
This is the Hebrew word arab, which means to be sweet or pleasing. Your mind won't be racing to all the bad things that could happen but will be able to slow down and rest in God's goodness and the environment your choices have created.
A good sleep requires trust. You are turning off the mechanism of your body and going offline for a while so your internal processes can do system checks and repairs. You must trust God, the environment, the people around you, etc., to have a deep, restful sleep. That is why it comes from wisdom.
A good night’s sleep is wonderful and it happens far more often in the path of wisdom. Choose to live wisely, not selfishly.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz