Proverbs 3:24-25 (NASB20) When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden danger, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
Psalm 3 is about wisdom. It starts out with, “do not forget my teaching, but have your heart comply with my commandments.” The emphasis of the chapter is trusting God, following Him, submitting your will to His, honoring Him, and obtaining wisdom.
It says that when you “comply with sound wisdom and discretion,” they “will be life to your soul,” you “will walk in your way securely,” you will not be afraid when you lie down and will have sweet sleep, and you will not be afraid of danger or of trouble from the wicked.
I learned that before Israel became a great nation under David and Solomon they looked at wisdom with a degree of disdain. It was as if they associated wisdom with the ruling class — with corruption and greed — with the pharaohs and kings who oppressed and opposed them. So there is an element of wisdom that can be corrupted with human nature. Proverbs 3:7 says, “do not be wise in your own eyes.” Perhaps it is talking about this tainted wisdom.
The wisdom of God is not the wisdom of man. Where men would think of wisdom as something that propels them to victory, prosperity, and glory — God’s wisdom is that of love, service, and sacrifice.
Wisdom is not merely a means of getting what you want, and avoiding what you don’t want. I think that having that kind of wisdom is being “wise in your own eyes.” I think obtaining true wisdom means that you humble yourself to the point where you can shine the light of God’s love into every situation and circumstance you might encounter.
Your wisdom should be a reflection of your trust in Him, your reverence for Him, your surrender to Him. It is a nomad’s wisdom as opposed to a king’s wisdom. You depend on Him for everything, and follow Him wherever He leads you. You hold the world loosely, and give thanks for everything. You have no attachment to places or things, but you trust Him to provide your next meal, and your next place to rest.
When you hold the world loosely, and trust in God completely, anxiety, stress, and insecurity melt away. Release your grip on control and fasten your arms around God.
Proverbs 12:25 (NASB20) Anxiety in a person's heart weighs it down, But a good word makes it glad.
Anxiety is the strain that is placed on you when you try to lift the weight of the world upon your shoulders. It’s the resistance you feel when you try to push or pull on the world. Just like you feel your muscles straining to lift weights, or your lungs burning as you sprint farther and faster. Anxiety is a mental response that happens when you try to control things that are outside of your control.
Anxiety and fear are very similar — and often the same. When you are anxious or fearful, it’s because you are trying to control something in life that you are not able to control, and your striving after that control stimulates a negative emotional response.
When you try to lift something too heavy or awkward for you the burden is unbearable, but when someone else helps you lift it then bearing the burden becomes possible — even easy. This is the good word. When we encourage others — not that they can bear the weight of the world on their own, but that they don’t have to — then it’s like helping them lift that thing that’s too heavy or awkward. The pressure of their anxiety is lessened and they are able to think more clearly, and their emotions are able to flow more freely.
Now, we certainly should share good words of encouragement and exhortation with each other, but that is not the only good word that makes our hearts glad. It is the good Word of God that makes our hearts the most glad. It’s not our own wisdom that will relieve our anxiety, or the anxiety of others. It’s God’s Word, and God’s wisdom that will give the ultimate relief from the strains put on us by the world.
If you feel overcome by the world, please understand that all people feel this way. Everyone from the poorest beggar to the richest king has problems that they are dealing with. And I want to say that comparing yourself to others is only going to make your problems worse because comparison is the root cause of all unhappiness, so don’t wish that you had someone else’s problems instead of your own — that’s nothing to pray for. Do not envy your neighbor — not even their problems.
Instead give your life to God. Put yourself in His hands. Surrender to His ways. Accept whatever path He guides you along. And trust in Him. Let your focus be only on trusting and knowing God. Put away the screens, put away the activities, put away the drama, and release yourself into the life that God has created for you. Become His disciple. Become His servant. Turn your heart from a rock into a flashlight, and seek to shine God’s light through you onto others. Take your focus off of you and put it on God, and on sharing God with others.
If you are burdened by a weight that is too much to bear, open God’s word and let it encourage you. Jesus said that we should take His yoke upon us because His yoke is easy to bear, and His burden is light. Open your Bible to Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, and read the words that Jesus spoke. (If you have a red-letter Bible those are the words in red). Let Him speak directly to you, and may He guide you to a place where your heart and mind can rest. May God fill your heart and give you peace.
με αγαπη,
BJ