WHAT DOES WISDOM HAVE TO DO WITH RESTLESS NIGHTS
It’s 2:00 in the morning, and you’re staring at the ceiling. You can’t sleep. You’ve got something on your mind: a decision you have to make, a conversation that didn’t feel right, something about money. And... it’s 2 AM! Actually, no, wait, it’s 3 A.M. now.
Most of us have coping skills we use in the daytime. We stay busy, stay productive, keep moving. The night can be less forgiving. There’s nowhere to hide and our brains force us to face whatever’s bothering us.
I used to believe the cure was more information. If I could know the answers to certain questions, I could handle the weight of those thoughts. Sometimes that does help, but often it doesn’t.
What does the Bible have to say about these long nights?
Wisdom Is Worth More Than Gold
As Proverbs chapter 3 opens, it sounds like advice from your financial advisor. It talks about wealth, investment, and comparing assets. But then it turns to what’s actually worth acquiring:
“Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her” (Proverbs 3:13–15).
The writer’s point is simple.
We can spend our lives chasing endless treasures, but wisdom is worth far more.
Gold and silver, houses, boats, college degrees; these things have value. God can use our treasures for His glory, but wisdom is vastly more valuable than even the greatest earthly treasure.
Picture someone who’s spent years climbing a ladder, working hard, staying disciplined, and making sacrifices to get higher and higher on that ladder. Then one day, near the top, they look down and realize the ladder was leaning against the wrong wall. Whoops! The effort was real. The cost was real. The goal was just misplaced.
Proverbs 3 is a warning.
Seek wisdom first. Because wisdom tells you which wall to lean your ladder on.
Building Like God
What makes wisdom so good? Keep reading:
“By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the watery depths were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew” (Proverbs 3:19–20).
The writer uses a building metaphor. He describes wisdom as if it’s the actual material God used to create everything.
To God, wisdom isn’t just good advice; it’s the very principles by which the world was made. It’s woven into the structure of reality itself.
Living wisely is about aligning yourself with the mind and the character of God.
By knowing the nature of God and how He would build things, through patience, integrity, generosity, love, humility, and sacrifice, we can better understand the choices He would want us to make.
God built a well-ordered world through wisdom. And the better we know His character, the better we’ll be able to build like Him.
Sweet Sleep
Then, starting in verse 21, we see how wisdom will actually help us sleep better at night:
“My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion; they will be life for you... 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. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared” (Proverbs 3:21–26).
Stop. Go back and read that sentence about sweet sleep. It’s easy to miss. There’s a connection between living wisely and finding true rest. Safety. Confidence. Freedom from fear. Sweet sleep. Why? Because the Lord is at your side.
This is the steady life. We can find lasting peace because our soul has a steady place to stand. Instead of being tossed around and uncertain, we can be sure that God has everything under control. And when we are living in accordance with His character, we come to find our lives making sense at a deep level.
Wisdom doesn’t promise to remove uncertainty. But it does give you a foundation that uncertainty can’t shake.
The Child in the Backseat
Think about a child buckled up in the backseat of the car on a long nighttime drive. They have no idea how to get where they’re going. They can’t see the road ahead. They don’t have money for gas. They’re completely helpless back there. Yet none of that matters. Ten minutes into the trip, they’re snoring away. Head bobbing all over the place as the car rides along.
How do they sleep so well? They don’t have any important information about the trip. Does the oil need to be changed? Is there enough air in the tires? How can they be sleeping with so much uncertainty?
Simple. They trust the driver.
The sweet sleep we read about in Proverbs 3 doesn’t come from having the road figured out. It comes from confidence in the one driving. Verse 26 makes it clear: the Lord will be at your side, keeping your foot from the snare. That’s a promise from the God who actually knows the road.
The reason most of us can’t sleep or find peace is that we’re trying to drive from the backseat.
Wisdom, over time, teaches you to stop reaching for the wheel you were never meant to hold.
Take Action
If you’re finding sleep or peace hard to come by, ask yourself: What is it that I’m actually trusting in? It’s easy to put your trust in your own abilities, education, experience, or bank account.
Here’s another idea. Start praying for wisdom this week. James 1:5 is a great reminder: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).
Make it a specific, daily prayer for the next seven days and see what happens.
Then go to the source of wisdom. Take time to sit with Scripture. Proverbs 3 is a good place to start. Stay with it long enough to let it shape how you’re thinking before the day gets its hands on you.
You might also find one genuinely wise and godly person and spend time with them. Watch how they handle pressure, how they make decisions, what they do when things go sideways. You’ll absorb more than you realize. Tell them what’s going on in your life. Intentionally share the parts that keep you up at night. Wisdom can be passed on through relationships.
I am praying right now that God will help you to find the deep rest you need as you walk in wisdom and learn to trust.
All for Jesus,
Brad D. Jenkins
P.S. — If this has been helpful, please send me a message at brad@bradjenkins.me and let me know. My writing aims to help people enjoy a vibrant relationship with Jesus, and it is an honor to be on this journey with you. To read previous newsletters or to sign up so that you don’t miss future posts, visit www.bradjenkins.me/blog.