Daily Devotional
Betty Miller shares her daily
devotionals which are based on the book of Proverbs in the Bible.
The Wisdom
of God
Verses for the Day:
33 Yet a little
sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
34 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed
man.
Proverbs 24:33-34 (AMP):
33 Yet a little sleep, a
little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep --
34 So shall your poverty come as a robber, and your want as an armed man.
Thoughts for the Day:
These verses in Proverbs
tell us that too much sleep will rob us of our productivity and we shall come to
poverty. This is a warning to
those who would use excessive sleep as an escape from responsibility. These
verses are referring to people who indulge in too much sleep because they
dislike work. It is not referring to
those who get a good night's rest, but rather to those who oversleep, thus
becoming lazy. Poverty awaits the one who is ensnared by this sin. The person
who does not work, but becomes lazy, is setting himself up to be robbed of the
devil, who is like a wicked armed man who takes away one's goods.
Proverbs 19:15 (KJV):
15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer
hunger.
This verse
tells us the fate of those who are lazy and idle. They will have no
money to buy food and will go hungry. Not only do we need to personally
have good work and sleep habits, but as parents, we must also instill
them in our children while they are young, so they do not become lazy and
slothful.
Sleep is a
natural function of our bodies, as is eating; however, when either of
these things are abused, we suffer the consequences. Too little
sleep will affect us adversely as well. Those who become
workaholics and drive themselves and deprive their bodies of adequate
rest, will suffer with stress related illnesses. Most doctors agree that
eight to ten hours of sleep nightly is sufficient for a healthy normal
person. God in the cycle of creation turns the light of the sun off at
night so that all of His creation can rest.
God gives
everyone the same amount of time. We can choose to use it wisely or
waste it. Some people waste their precious time by over-indulging
in sleep. We must ask God to help us balance our time between
work, sleep, rest, play, prayer, study and ministry to others. With His
guidance we will not neglect the important things that we must
accomplish in our allotted 24 hour days. Time and sleep are both
gifts from God. When we make sure that we do not neglect a time to
meditate, study the Bible, and pray; we can be sure that our sleep will
be sweet and refreshing.
Proverbs 3:24: When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou
shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
We are
told in the Bible that a man who works and labors will have sweet sleep,
while those who are rich and are gluttons will not rest well, and
sometimes, will even have bad dreams.
Ecclesiastes 5:12: The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat
little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to
sleep.
We are
admonished as God's "children of light" to spiritually be watchful and
not go to sleep on our job. As Christians, we are to remember whether we
are sleeping or awake, we belong to God.
1
Thessalonians 5:5-10:
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are
not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be
sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are
drunken in the night.
8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate
of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our
Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live
together with him.
Prayer for the Day:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the gift of sweet sleep. I am most grateful to be able to
lie down at night and be able to find rest. Lord, help me to be disciplined in
all areas of my life and not to over-sleep, nor over-eat. I want to be a good
example for You and walk in moderation in all things. Lord, may I never
neglect my spiritual duties of prayer and devotion, so that I can be guided in
Your ways and avoid the snares of the devil. May my light always shine in
this dark world for You. I ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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