Sweet Sleep

Proverbs 3:19-20 are a crowning truth—wisdom made this world. They provide a climactic note to the ten verses that begin with God’s discipline (Proverbs 3:11-12). And they provide an introduction to the quiet integrity of these verses we have read.

The wise counselor wants to make sure we are convinced of the value of wisdom. He does not want us to get trapped by lesser goals or values.

So he is going to describe to us how God used wisdom to create the universe and everything in it. In other words, the wisdom we are pursuing is the knowledge and discipline of God. Through this wisdom the natural world came into being.

We encounter this wisdom every day when we are interacting with our natural world. The heavens and the earth are the most stable realities that we know. We actually live out our lives enveloped in them. We navigate our journeys. We grow our crops. We plan our lives in large measure based upon the rotation of times and seasons set within our world.

We thank our scientists who are exploring the laws of this universe and the nature of created things around us. They are learning amazing and life-changing truths in their investigations and bringing to our lives great gifts that help us flourish as a people. I cannot walk into our modern hospitals without giving thanks for the knowledge that has led us to this level of care for our bodies. We have learned so much about how the body works, and each part of it. All of our learning has been an exploration of these foundational principles of life and the material world.

We should bring this same vigor of research and application to the spiritual and moral side of life. Think of the strides we have made in the treatment of infection, disease, and injury. If these mortal bodies are worth the time and money that it takes to understand them better, then think about the value of investing in your eternal being—your spiritual and heavenly life.

 

The Grand Panorama of Wisdom:

By wisdom the LORD laid the earth’s foundations - Proverbs 3:19

We call this terra firma, this earth under our feet. We went into the terra firma for 130 feet so that we could establish this building on a solid foundation. They poured pile caps the size of living rooms. These blocks of concrete, anchored in pilings driven a hundred feet into the ground, are right now under our feet. Often people will ask me, “Can you feel the train go by? Can you hear it?” And the answer is that when I am right here on this platform I cannot hear the train or feel the train. That’s how they built this building.

Now think about the foundations of the earth—the idea that the earth is established upon a foundation. The foundation that holds this planet together and holds it in its orbit is the foundation of natural law—the laws of physics. The earth is held in place by these forces. God was the engineer who designed all of this. It was his wisdom that established the earth, the heavens, the seas, and the ecosystem of our planet.

So when you pray for wisdom and seek wisdom, you are seeking the knowledge and discernment of the creative act that brought our universe into existence.

• I took some guests to our city, and we went out on the lakefront and watched the waves. They were amazed that they the bridge in the middle of the Causeway was 12 miles away. And they were amazed that the roadway of the Causeway disappeared behind the water in that short distance. We were observing the curvature of the earth. It really is a ball, a sphere. And the great oceans and mighty rivers really do churn and move in a great arc, established and sustained by the wisdom of God. We are learning about God’s wisdom and we discover the laws that govern our world and our universe.

 

He established this earth; he set he heavens in place.

He divided the watery depths; and made the clouds let drop the dew.

 

The Immediate Availability of Wisdom:

Do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight; preserve sound judgment and discretion - Proverbs 3:21

Verse 21 is a transition verse between the crescendo of universal principles and the outworking of everyday life.

See wisdom. The natural world is available for all to observe. In the cycles of the earth and the heavens we are able to discern the greatness of God, his character and his ways. We see these truths in the operation of the natural order around us every day, in the birds and animals and insects and plants.

• “When I consider the heavens, the works of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place,” reads Psalm 8:3. “What is man?”

• “Consider the ant, you sluggard, and be wise,” Proverbs 6:6 says.
• “Consider the lilies of the field,” Jesus said in Matthew 6.

• “Consider the ravens,” Jesus said in Luke 12:24.

Preserve sound judgment and discretion. This is wisdom seen and used.

• Here we have the apprehension of wisdom.

• Here we have the implementation of wisdom.

You have a choice. You can read God’s word, study his creation, and integrate these universal truths into your life. Or you can choose to let them go and reap the consequences.

The wise man is pleading: preserve sound judgment at this juncture and every place in your life.

 

The Intimate Detail of Wisdom:

An ornament to grace your neck - Proverbs 3:22

The grand strokes of Proverbs 3:19-20 are followed by the detailing of verses 21-26 that complete the picture for us. Just as godly wisdom provided the structure for the universe, so it provides the structure for our lives.

• Many of us watched with wonder as the engineers and construction teams expanded the Huey P. Long Bridge, lifting hundreds of thousands of pounds of steel grids two hundred feet into the air and snapping them into place under that massive structure across the Mississippi River.

The same principles they used to transform that dangerous old bridge are the principles they use to build the tiny implants that regulate hearts, control seizures, and aid digestion. The natural laws that help us build mammoth projects also help us build tiny technical devices. These foundational principles that set the heavens and earth in place also set our lives in place.

Proverbs 3:21 is yet another command and plea to seek and obtain the wisdom of God. We must hold to and stand upon the Creative Wisdom of God.

The quiet returns are listed in Proverbs 3:22-26:

• Wisdom will bring life to you.

• Wisdom will adorn you better than any jewelry.

• Wisdom will bring you safely on your way

Wisdom will keep you from stumbling.

Wisdom will keep you from fear at night.

Wisdom will bring you sweet sleep.

Wisdom will take away the anxiety of sudden disaster.

Wisdom will take away the fear of ruin that so often overtakes the wicked. This is a ruin that they themselves have planted and sown. Wisdom does not prevent you from pain, suffering, sickness, and death. But it does preserve you from the self-inflicted wounds of heart and relationships that so often trouble our lives.

Wisdom brings the Lord to your side. He is your counselor and guide. He is by your side in a way that the foolish cannot know. He is whispering in your ear, giving you direction for your life.

Wisdom keeps your foot from being snared. This snare is not the usual aches and pains of old age and mortal bodies. This refers to the traps that evil people set for you. They want you to accompany them in their wickedness. They want you to come along. And you know that it is a trap for you, that it is unwise and foolish to do what they want you to do. Wisdom will keep you from stepping into this trap. Wisdom will alert you to the evil intentions of others and give you strength to resist the temptation that would ensnare you and bring you down.