Now I lay me down to sleep . . .

“If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.”
-Proverbs 3:24

When I was very young, I had a dream once that a painting in my parents house attacked me. Now, I had been rather creeped out by this painting for some time, though I cannot say why now. It is of a man sitting in a chair. There’s nothing particularly ominous about it, save only that the eyes seem to follow you wherever you go. Perhaps that was it.

It hardly matters. The end result of this dream is that I slept with the light on for perhaps a month or more. I was afraid to be alone in the night, and I was afraid to sleep.

Even as an adult, there were times when I would fear sleep. Out of loneliness, anxiousness, or whatever, I did not want the next day to come. There have even been a couple of times when I feared because of a bad situation with another person – that perhaps that person would come get me in my sleep. Luckily, I’ve never had a health situation in which I feared not waking up, and yet we can see that there are many reasons that even an adult would fear sleep.

And then sleep also has another use, and that is the sleep of death, which almost everyone fears. We do not know what tomorrow will bring, but chances are it will bring much as today was. And yet death – too many are without the slightest inkling of what lies beyond that. That is a cause to fear, for it is utterly unknown to those people.

And this is where wisdom comes in. This is where understanding God helps. This understanding tells us some wonderful truths. First of all, the future is known by God. Not only that, but it is under His control. And not only that, but He can and does turn our situations to our good. In love he cares for us, provides for us, and leads us to Himself. What need have we to fear for tomorrow, for He guides even this.

Secondly, my greatest treasures are not here, but in heaven waiting for me. My money and my toys will all fade away. I won’t be able to take one bit of it with me. And yet, those things I can do to care for others, these things I can take. When I help the poor, when I teach of Jesus, when I help a friend with a broken heart – these treasures are eternal. What need have we to fear that our things will be taken, for any real treasure we have cannot be taken by anyone.

Lastly, we may not know exactly what happens after this life, but we know enough. We know there will be judgment of everything we have done wrong.

Now, at first, this may cause me more fear than ever. I haven’t been an evil person compared to others, perhaps, but I’ve done my share. I’ve lied and mislead, I’ve lusted and schemed, I’ve sought my own pleasure and greed, I’ve hated and shown anger. By God’s standard, which is love, I’ve fallen far short.

So sure, I’ve been a decent enough guy, but is that good enough to pass the judgment? Inside, I know it’s not. I haven’t been loving to everyone I’ve met. For that matter, I haven’t been loving to even a part of them.

But I do not have cause to fear death, because my place in eternity is not based on my own actions. We have all fallen short of God’s glory, but in love He sent Jesus to die in our places. In that death He takes the punishment meant for us. His forgiveness is a free gift to those who will repent and believe.

I believe. I believe that Jesus was the Son of God, and that He did die for me. What need have we to fear death, for Jesus has made a place for me in eternal life.

Wisdom shows us these answers very clearly, and so I can sleep well tonight, for God is watching over me.