Jump Start # 478 

Proverbs 19:23 “The fear of the Lord leads to life, so that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.” 

  Earlier in Proverbs we learn that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Here we are told that the fear of the Lord leads to life. This fear is devotion, respect and a desire to follow the Lord. God’s laws are not intended to box us in and keep us from enjoying things, rather, they keep us holy, safe and with the Lord.

  I especially like the later half of this verse, “so that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.” Sleeping satisfied. It almost sounds like a commercial for mattresses. What keeps most folks from sleeping satisfied is not what we are sleeping on but what is weighing on our minds and our hearts at night. Sometimes it’s hard to let things go. Sometimes the burdens of life seem to close in during the night. Worry, stress, frustration, fear keep us tossing and turning and they take rest from us. We awaken the next day, not charged and ready to go, but rather, sluggish, weary and barely able to function. That leads us to being cranking, mean, and short tempered. It’s a recipe for a coming train wreck. People can’t go on that way.

  Today, we’d say, go find a counselor to talk to. That is helpful many times. Our passage doesn’t go that direction, it takes us to God. Sometimes we just need to talk to God. Peter said, “casting all your anxiety upon Him because He cares for you.” That “casting” means to release or throw off. It’s like a balloon, we’ll hold it up, but we just can’t let go of the string. So, another night of worries. Another night of fears. Another night of no answers or solutions.

  I think there are two reasons for most of this. The first is that we try to fix the lives of other people, usually our family members or church members. We care about them, especially our kids, especially when they are grown. We want them to make right choices, do the right things. Sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they do dumb things, like we did when we were their age. Those things just race through our minds at night. The way they live financially, the way that they are constantly late, to everything, the way that they care for their kids, the way that they clean their house, or rather, don’t clean their house—it drives us nuts. We can’t stand it. We want to fix them, but we can’t, their adults. So while they sleep like a baby, we are awake at night thinking of them. Seems backwards, and it is. For some families, the problems are not messy houses, but messy lives. Addictions, abuse, divorce, jail are things that they never ever thought would happen to their family, but it has. There is little sound sleep that takes place in those homes. What can be done? Talk to them. Encourage them. Point them to help. PRAY…PRAY…PRAY.

  The other reason sound sleep escapes us is because of the guilt that we carry. We have hurt others. We messed up. Sin led us to wrong choices and now we are living with the consequences. What can be done? Pray to God. Resolve to walk with the Lord. Believe in the forgiveness of God and forgive yourself.

  The fear of the Lord is what leads to the satisfied sleep. It’s not perfection. It’s that devotion to God and His way. There is no other way that works, than God’s way. Every generation finds those who try to demonstrate otherwise, and they always fail. The fear of the Lord…Walking with the Lord…trusting the Lord…

  The final expression in our verse, “untouched by evil” follows the satisfied sleep. It’s as if God is watching over, and He does. He is protecting. He is caring. The one sleeping may be unaware of the dangers of evil that are lurking about, but God knows. Paul said the peace of Christ guards your hearts…similar idea. Safe in the arms of Jesus is a hymn that is similar to this. The one sleeping puts his trust in God. God is on the throne, that’s all that matters. He will make things right. He will keep one safe.

  It’s like a child who is frightened by a storm. They come into the bed of mom and dad. Sleeping between them the child falls to sleep. The storm is still going on, but the child now feels safe. It’s the same with us…satisfied sleep—it comes from fearing the Lord.

Roger