Learning to Sleep Without Fear

Day Five

Learning to Sleep Without Fear (Read Proverbs 3:13-24)

Have you ever had trouble following sleep? I mean, struggling to sleep in general or waking up with anxiety and fear pumping through your veins so intense you can feel your heart beating inside your chest, making it impossible to rest and, at times, even hard to breathe?

Sometimes, the fear is fueled by the subtle voices in your head talking to you faster than an auctioneer calling for bids at the auction. The voices' imposter narrative aims to convince you that your future is bleak and that you are hopeless in doing anything about your current situation. In response to your fear overload, the temptation is to seek out sleep aids from the drug store or pull back a shot or two from the liquor bottle to help calm the nerves and help you fall asleep. Sound familiar?

Reading proverbs today reminds us to appreciate the value of wisdom only available from God and fully understand that wisdom is more valuable than any gemstone known to humanity. If you store up wisdom, you'll count blessings instead of sheep and have peace when you sleep, allowing you the much-needed rest your body requires to live as efficiently as possible and experience God's everlasting joy.

¹⁸ Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
    happy are those who hold her tightly.

¹⁹ By wisdom, the Lord founded the earth;
    by understanding, he created the heavens.
²⁰ By his wisdom, the deep fountains of the earth burst forth,
    and the dew settled beneath the night sky.

²¹ My child, don't lose sight of common sense and discernment.
    Hang on to them,
^22, for they will refresh your soul.
    They are like jewels on a necklace.
²³ They keep you safe on your way,
    and your feet will not stumble.
²⁴ You can go to bed without fear;
    you will lie down and sleep soundly.

If you want a great night's sleep, seek wisdom from God. You will sleep better, and your spiritual treasure chest will be runneth over.