Proverbs 3:24 “if you lie down you will not be afraid when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet”
I had been walking for ages. I’d left home in the afternoon, a 13-year-old run-away. Hitching rides, I had travelled around 100km from my house and now was on a quiet stretch of road, walking, small bag with a change of clothes slung over my shoulder. I changed hands regularly as the longer I walked the heavier it felt. The light was fading fast. There was no traffic on the road for the last 20 or 30 minutes at least, and in this half-light, [the gloaming is what we call it in Scotland] I doubted if anyone would stop for a hunched over stranger anyway.
On the far side of the road, the ground rose sharply into thick forest, and on my side, there were fields of stubble leftover from a recent harvest. The moon was out and I could make out a barn in the distance, around two hundred meters away at the back of the fields. The barn seemed to be on its own.
I clumsily straddled the fence at the side of the road and then gingerly lowered myself off the fence and into the field, setting across the furrows towards the barn. I approached the barn cautiously, I was a novice at sleeping in barns and had no idea what I might find. In movies and TV programmes I had seen, sleeping in barns did not always work out all that well.
In the barn were bales of hay, I climbed up into a comfortable looking spot and fell asleep immediately. I stirred in the night a couple of times, once a rat disturbed me and once a cold shiver ran through me. Really, I slept well.
I awoke probably around 5 in the morning and with no reason to linger, I strode out back over the fields to the road where the odd headlit car held a promise of the day to come. I was well-rested and on the move.
KNOWLEDGE
The promise of rest, is part of the reward for those who seek wisdom and discernment daily, the promise is for real rest, not just stopping of activity. Nothing will unsettle you as you rest, you will have perfect peace, as you choose to rest at any point. Notice the first mention hinges on “if” and the second mention hinges on “when”.
The use of “if” suggests a choice and the use of “when” suggests a need. So if in the middle of a difficult season, we choose to rest, we need not worry, nothing will unsettle us, as our hearts are on a pilgrimage to seek for Jesus. In that place, we find it perfect to rest on every occasion. Sometimes in life, the choice to rest is not ours, and this word [shakah] can mean the end of our life rest – death. Even in that time, when we are facing death, at the end of whatever life we have had, we will have a sense of peace, sweetness, pleasing, acceptance.
The benefit of a heart set on seeking Jesus is the promise of rest. We will have perfect peace in times of plenty and in times of want. We will be able to lay our heads down on our pillow and instantly be in a deep and refreshing sleep, with no care in the world.
In Phil 4:11-13, we read ” I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength”.
UNDERSTANDING
Let’s pick one word from this verse to look closer at and see if that can help us gain a deeper insight into how God would love us to live?
The word for “sweet” in Hebrew is pronounced “arab” and appears 8 times in the Old Testament. It is translated into, pleasing; sweet; and, pleasure, in the English language. In this verse, we see the meaning of being pleasant and acceptable. When we walk closely with God our rest, our sleep is pleasing and acceptable, how cool is that!
WISDOM: how is your rest?
STRENGTHS THOUGHT: Consistency allows others to feel safe and at ease with you, they know what to expect and when to expect it. Let others know when exceptions to the rules are acceptable.
Allan’s Unauthorised Version – [when you take your rest in life or even in death, you will not be shaken or experience fear, when the time for rest is there, it will be a pleasant and pleasing time.]
PRAYER: Father, thank you for today. Help me to work well and rest well, always having my eyes on you. Thank you!
Scroll down and leave a short comment, please………….
Thanks, Ps Allan. It is true, the benefit of a heart of seeking Jesus is “peace that passes all understanding.”
Selah is important.
There is nothing to compare with the peace that God gives. The peace that passes all understanding is a precious gift from our loving God . It brings contentment, rest and all of the things you have mentioned Allan. A beautiful place where God is so close and precious and we can rest knowing his beautiful wrap around love
Thankyou Pastor Allan.
Yes and Amen to a peaceful state of mind and rest.
Great Allan, thank you for the reminder of rest, so important.
Love that I don’t have to do things in my own strength, that in Him I can do ALL things and my strength comes from Him. Needed that reminder this morning.
I look forward to hearing more of your story.
Thank you so much ps. Allan. It is so so sweet story, …..I love reading your story and how you unpack of His words to explain it to us. I am so grateful to part of your journey to read, learn, daily meditate and write comment.
It is like echoing with what I have been experiencing living in Jesus with His way of life. He is truly our source of peace, rest, wisdom and He is truly our everything.
Philippians 4:11-13 is the key verses of my life too. I am nothing without Jesus. His strength is my strength to live my life, and in every situation I feel at peace, at rest. When I lay down on my pillow and when I wake up….I just say thank you Lord….You are my everything. Only You is the one I need. I am blessed, I am content with whatever situation I am facing. In Jesus name. Amen
Just brilliant !!!!
I am so grateful to God for bringing people like you Pastor Allan into my life. Thank you.
When we seek wisdom and understanding , we will sleep well !
Thank you Allan. Press on.
So good
This really blessed me today! A heart set on seeking jesus has perfect peace in times of plenty and times of want. This is powerful powerful truth. Thank you Pastor Allan!
“The benefit of a heart set on seeking Jesus is the promise of rest ”
Thank you pastor Allan
It’s very promising to know that when your heart is one with Him .
You find rest in Him, in whatever season of life you maybe in.
Life for sure does not promise all good things to us ,
But it is to know that we can have his peace by placing our burdens at the feet of Jesus.
Thank you Pastor Allan for a further episode of where you’ve come from!!
In a world full of worry anxiety & mental turmoil I am SO blessed to know the peace & contentment found only in knowing our precious Saviour! At times there is a choice because we are human & fight a battle against a devious enemy who comes with lies particularly when we are in a hard season! This is where our belief system in Jesus & all He has sacrificed for me comes to the fore as I take my stance in Christ & fight the good fight of faith! Having Godly wisdom knowledge & understanding brings such rest to be able to lay down at night trusting Father God with all my cares & being able to have a peaceful & restful sleep.
I almost always find it so easy to get to sleep, to rest, I just need to lay down, on my side is my preferred, close my eyes and I’m gone, but staying asleep at times is another story!
I want that sweet sleep promised more to be the norm, so my prayers each night are going to include Proverbs 3:24.
Thank you Ps Allan for encouraging around Rest. So important.
Love this!
Consistency allows others to feel safe and at ease with you, they know what to expect and when to expect it. Let others know when exceptions to the rules are acceptable.
In those early years when my children were little and they needed to feed or if I knew they had a virus and were unwell , I slept almost with one eye open. And for me sleep was and still is the one and probably most important thing to me to get through with 4 babes under 4yrs for a time. I remember when my head would hit the pillow that thought of sleep was glorious and tender and ‘Sweet’ even if it was for just a few hours… but in those times I knew it was only for a season as they were all good sleepers “Thank you Jesus”X . I know most of my life I’ve slept without fear and anxiety , for my God never fails me and I can sleep trusting His will for my life is Good. !
And the strengths thought about consistency I really identified with . Communicating to others when things are different for me has become more important as my children are growing up and understanding more as young adults. They don’t always understand why I’m different in my tolerance or attitude and it does help when I express what’s going on .
Thank you Allan . Great expression around this Proverb .
Thanks Pastor Allen, I’m blessed and thankful to God for people like pastor Allen.
Cheriel
Thanks Pastor Allen.
Just brilliant
To me this is such a comforting verse ! The way you explained the “if” and “when” in this verse was very powerful to me.
Amen! Thank you so much Pastor Allan.
I can do all things through Him ( Christ )
who gives me strength.
I learn from this verse that when troubles come, we can rest in the assurance that God is watching over us. We can rely on His promises., honour them, live wisely and sleep with a clear conscience.
Our Father never sleeps.