When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

— Proverbs 3:24

Last night I slept well. I fell asleep quickly, got up only once, had pleasant dreams, and awoke refreshed and ready to greet the new day. As the writer of Proverbs might have said, it was a “sweet” night of sleep.

King Solomon, the author of the first part of Proverbs, advises his son that wisdom is found only in the Lord. The king urges his son to seek wisdom and understanding. Make them “an ornament to grace your neck,” he says. “They will be life for you.”

So, what constitutes wisdom? Wisdom here and throughout the Bible means discerning God’s design for how we should live in his world. This means trusting in God, following his commands for living, and seeking God’s guidance in all we do.

Does this mean that if we live according to God’s design, everything in our lives will go smoothly? And if we follow God well during the day, we’ll sleep sweetly at night? Not necessarily. The evil unleashed by human rebellion in the world continues to wreak havoc on us, on others, and on creation.

Still, we can trust God’s design for us and follow him in all of life’s circumstances. Then, even though our world may be chaotic and filled with threats, we can experience the sweetness of resting in God, both day and night, now and forever.

Father, you have made us for yourself, and only in you can we find true rest. Lead us, we pray, in your paths of rest now and always. Amen.