Proverbs - Do Not Love Sleep

Proverbs 20:13

Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty;

open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

Sleep is a gift from the Lord.  We read in Psalm 127:2, “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.”  The danger we are warned about here is loving sleep.  This particular proverb implies it is not good to be sleeping when we should actually be working or getting things done.  Loving sleep is being devoted to sleep rather than whatever the Lord wants us to do.  Sleep can be used like alcohol and drugs to escape things when the Lord may in fact be asking us to face something in His strength.  Sleep is a God given gift to give us a bit of a break from certain trials and a time of renewal for our minds and bodies, but just like every gift God gives, there can be a misuse or abuse of something intended for our good.  If we are women who sleep in when it is time to get up, or nap when we sense the Lord telling us to work, we can come to poverty.  Early rising is often equated with a virtuous woman.  Getting up before our families and having turned on the lights, made breakfast and being ready to greet those in our household with His love, sets the tone for the days of all those we live with.  You can come up with practical steps to help you wake up in the morning.

·        Put your alarm clock at a distance so you have to get out of bed to turn off the alarm

·        Go to bed at a decent time whenever possible

·        Start the shower immediately and enjoy the hot water on your skin

·        Begin praising the Lord upon the opening of your eyes and asking Him to bless your day

·        Set your coffee pot on a timer so that the aroma can greet you as you wake up

·        Immediately kneel on the side of your bed and offer your day to the Lord and His purposes for it

These are just some practical ways to fight an improper love of sleep that will lead to poverty and deprive us of being satisfied with bread.  Enjoy sleep as a gift.  Use sleep when you are ill or need it, but be careful about sleeping when you should be working.