Listen:
“Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” Proverbs 3:23-24
Reflect:
Reading these verses out of context, my immediate thought was, “I’m so tired and overwhelmed, what comes before this verse so I’ll know how not to stumble and how to sleep well”! Of course, for those who are following these meditations, it is wisdom and sound judgment – God’s wisdom, not our own, our God-given sound mind, to enable wise judgment. The foot stumbling is more to do with us taking a wrong path in life, making an unwise decision, than literally stumbling, and it’s an evocative image. How many of us can say that when we lie on our beds at night, we are truly at rest, at peace and that we sleep sweetly – ‘like a baby’ as the saying goes?
So often, during crises, I find myself focusing on the crisis and not on God. I send messages to praying friends asking for prayer about the crisis, rather than turning to the source of all wisdom myself! To be fair, today, I asked for prayer for a medical team to make a wise decision, rather than for a specific outcome to the problem.
That old chorus, ‘Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace’, really says it all. Yes, we will face challenges, yes, sometimes they seem impossible to overcome in our mind and yet, and yet, we have the wonderful gift of wisdom and a sound mind when we turn to our Lord and ask for it.
Focus on Him, lean on His wisdom and then we will be secure in Him, we will not be afraid and we will sleep like a baby. How can we not follow this wise counsel?
Prayer of Response:
Today, Lord, I gaze on your wonderful face, I see your overwhelming compassion and mercy for me. I seek your wisdom, grant me a sound mind, that I might not stumble from crisis to crisis, but that I might face each challenge with the knowledge that you are by my side and I am safe with you. May the grace you pour out on me daily spill over into the lives of others.
Tonight, may I know true rest because I trust in You and know your peace. Amen
Questions to Ponder:
- What turns my focus away from God and from reliance on Him?
- How can I learn to turn towards Him more : a verse, a song, a picture to remind me?
- How often do I ask for God’s wisdom, rather than rely on mine or someone else’s?
Breath Prayers:
Join us in praying breath prayers each day. We invite you to write your own as well.
Inhale (Breathe in): When you lie down,
Exhale (Breathe out): your sleep will be sweet.
(Repeat)
Submitted by Lis Ho
Lis is living in Lyon, France, an empty nester. Lis attended her first Lifesprings retreat in 2010 and was part of the LSM Lyon team as well as the retreat team in May last year. She is involved in the prayer ministry team at her church and has a heart for getting alongside women and healthy ageing. Her portfolio career includes portrait photography, teaching English as a foreign language and pilates. Her ‘word’ for 2026 is the very challenging ‘trust’ and Psalm 23 is accompanying her on her journey this year.