If you would turn with me in the Word of God to Proverbs and the third chapter and verse 24. Proverbs and the third chapter and verse 24. When thou liest down, thou should not be afraid, yea, thou should lie down, and sleep shall be sweet. Dear congregation, we have in the Proverbs here some wise counsel to us some. In verse 21 we read, My son, let them not depart from thine eyes, keep sound wisdom and discretion. Wise counsel here, and you follow on those words in the previous verses and we bring it all together and we consider let wisdom but also understanding and knowledge be ever before the eye what counsel it is to a son. So we have this wise counsel but added to this counsel come some words of encouragement and comfort because of Christ who is the wisdom of God and the work of the Holy Spirit the true believer When focusing on the Lord and His Word, can they support in verse 23, but also they may know rest in verse 24. Not always do they know it, but they can know it at times. When thou liest down, thou should not be afraid. Yea, thou should lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Well, let's come directly then to these words this morning, and I'd like us to consider, first of all, fear. Secondly, trust. Thirdly, sleep. Fear, trust, and sleep. When thou liest down, thou should not be afraid. Yea, thou should lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. As we shall consider in a moment, through the help of the Lord, The mind can be focused and one can know tranquility in the heart. That tranquility fills the soul. And one can sleep. However, it is not always the case. And that's implied here, isn't it? What do we read? When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid. Yea, thou shalt lie down and thy sleep shall be sweet. There are times when one knows that calm And they're looking to the Lord, and they know sleep, but it's not always the case. Fear comes. Fear can creep into the mind, or maybe seeking to focus on the Lord, but fear pushes hard at the door and comes in. You try to push it to one side, but there it is, and you're confronted with it. And fear comes and plays upon your mind. Remember the disciples and the storm, they were confronted with a storm and fear came upon them. The Lord said in Matthew 8 verse 26, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. They were fearful, the Lord saw it, these disciples. They had been with him, they had witnessed his power, and yet here they were fearful. These disciples, and even a strong Christian, if they're honest, sometimes they're not honest, but if they're honest, even the strong Christian can become fearful. If the disciples who were with the Lord became fearful, well, we're not surprised that even a strong Christian can become fearful at times. They were timid. They were in dread. Was the boat about to sink? Were they going to drown? These disciples, they saw the Lord, but they were fearful. In Job 4 verse 12 we read, Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof. In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men, fear came upon me, and trembling which made all my bones to shake. He was a man who was focused. He couldn't sleep that night. When others were sleeping, fear came upon me and trembling and made all my bones to shake. Fear came upon me. In the Hebrew, it met me. It met me and it does. And even the honest, strong Christian at times will say, it's met me at times. It comes, it confronts me. I do not want to meet it, but there it is. I encountered fear. In the dark maybe. Sometimes in the day, but often in the dark. I encounter fear and it's not pleasant. Often as a boy I would be fearful. I remember one evening, it was a Wednesday evening. We used to have the midweek meeting on Thursdays. I was walking with my father in the forest near Ashurst and the darkness came down and there were strange noises. I got used to them now living here in the forest but all those years ago there were strange noises and I thought there was someone behind me. Probably a horse or a cow but I kept looking over my shoulder and I held on to my dad's hand even more. I was fearful. Was there someone following me? It's not pleasant. Fear can come and we find it hard to sleep. Let's open this up a little further. Firstly, let's consider fears about the present. There's much fear in this country at this present time. We were hoping that by the autumn things would have calmed down, but now the virus is taking hold again and fear is taking a grip in the country and in other countries of the world. Large parts of the United Kingdom are now in lockdown and we pray for them, particularly our brothers and sisters who are in lockdown now. We're not yet and we hope we won't, but we remember those who are. Many students are in the universities, shut in. What a situation to begin life in a university, shut in, in lockdown. There are those losing their jobs. The economy is not in a good state. There was hopes, wasn't there, that things would improve in the autumn and there'd be a going forward and there'd be this building and building and building, the Prime Minister said. But all what has happened with the economy. I read the other day that one million women may have missed scans for breast cancer over the last few months. Have you noticed there's a quietness around? I was in Ringwood the other day and I was walking down the high street and it was round about half past four. So quiet. It's like a Lord's Day nearly, as they used to be. It's so quiet. You see there's this fear, isn't there? Many young people and children, they have their fears. Unbelievers have their fears, but also certain believers. At such a time are we not learning afresh how small we are, how weak we are, how little we are as a nation. The nations are but a drop in the bucket. We're learning that, aren't we? How small we are. And this fear, things haven't gone the right way yet, have they? We can get troubled. We haven't got perfect minds. We have to wait to heaven for that, as we see in Hebrews chapter 12. Fear can come. There's concern and trouble. Churches have their concerns. A number are struggling. Certain ministers are fearful at this present and struggling to get to sleep. I know a number of ministers, they have sleeping tablets next to their bed at this present time. Fears can come. Have you fear in your heart? There's nothing to be ashamed of there. Even the strong Christian can have fear in their heart. You look at the disciples. I don't think myself stronger than the disciples. Don't be ashamed if you have fear. Because fear's come. We're in this world. We're confronted. We don't want to meet it. But fear confronts us at times. Don't try to hide it. You know some Christians, they try to hide. Don't try to hide it. The Lord knows at times when you're fearful. He knows. You may have present fear. You're troubled about something. Secondly, we've thought of fears of the present, fears of the future. What is going to happen? Let's be honest. I expect we've all thought that, haven't we? I have. What is going to happen next week, next month, next year. Now what do we read in Matthew 6 in verse 34? Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. We've got enough to think about today. Let alone next week, next month. Yes, we've got to make wise plans as we see in Proverbs. The godly farmer will sow his seed at the right time that he might have a harvest. There's a responsibility. But all we need to trust the Lord. Yet we can be fearful about the future. What's going to happen? Fear can come. In the evening you can consider what's going to happen on the morrow. What's going to happen to churches? Local congregations? What's going to happen in the future? We can have our fears. How are things going to turn out? Thirdly, fears in view of the magnitude of the work. Fears in view of the magnitude of the work. There is much work to be done in the gospel. It was Solomon's portion to build the temple and all what was involved. We read in 1 Chronicles 28 verse 20 this, David said to Solomon his son, be strong and have a good courage and do it. Fear not, nor be dismayed, for the Lord thy God, even my God, will be with thee. He will not fail thee nor forsake thee until thou has finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord. Now it's interesting there in those words of exhortation he was told, fear not, Solomon thinks of the magnitude of the work. How is he going to do it? Where is it all going to come from? Things would go around his mind and David, his father, knew it. Fear not. And there could be fears in the magnitude of the work. I tell you, there's so much work to be done in the gospel in this country. Look at the state of the church. It's at a low ebb, isn't it? So much needs to be done. And there can be fears. How will I have the strength? How will I have the resources? There can be opposition. Well, there is more than enough to make Solomon fearful. And there's more than enough to make ministers at times and missionaries fearful as they consider the magnitude of the work and those that will oppose them. You know, there's often some who will come, even Christians can come to a minister. It can't be done. And fear can arise. Fears can enter. And you may have something on your mind. You've got a lot of work to do. And it's a magnitude of work. And you can think, how will I get through? How am I going to cope? Fourthly, fears are the enemy. Psalm 31 verse 13, for I've heard the slander of many. Fear was on every side. While they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life. They're dishonest. He heard the slander. Not a pleasant thing, is it? When you hear people speaking about you behind your back, they're criticizing you for no good reason. Oh, here's the psalmist, he heard the slander of many, and fear was on every side while they took counsel together against me. Fear on every side. He walked that way and fear met him. He went that way and fear met him. It's not easy. People can surround and mock and laugh and fight against you. In Psalm 56, verse 1, we read, Be merciful unto me, O God, for man would swallow me up He fighting daily, oppressive me. All the fear the psalmist knew. In verse 3 of that chapter we read, What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee. But he was afraid at times. You see the honesty. You know, sometimes I meet a Christian and they never seem to be fearful. I don't feel they're probably being honest, are they? Yes, there may be someone so focused, but we're in this world, and fears confront us at times. The psalmist was honest. What time? I am afraid, but he knew what to do. I will trust in thee, be honest with the Lord. I do get fearful, Lord, but I'm going to trust thee. Fearful because of the enemy. Young people, children, you may have ones in the school, in the college, in the community, cause you a bit of trouble. You might know fear. Used to be a boy at the school who used to cause me a lot of trouble. And I would try to go a different way when I saw him. He would come across and he would give me a thump most days. And he would say to me, if you tell the teacher, you'll have a harder thump. It went on day after day, week after week, and I was fearful. You may be fearful. Fearful because of those who oppose you. Fifthly, fear is because of sin. Fear is because of sin. You can't sleep because you feel guilty. You've done something or said something and you become convicted and guilty. What have I done? What if it gets out? What if that person finds out what I said about them? And you feel convicted? Something you've done? And you feel the hand of God upon you? In Psalm 32, verse 3, we read, when I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me, my moisture is turned into the drought of summer." He felt God's hand. He was being convicted. What a state he was in. He couldn't sleep. What have I done? In his sorrow, fears crept in. What is the Lord going to do to me? He felt the hand of the Lord. But then in verse 5 we read this of Psalm 32. I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. As the psalmist, he knew fear, he felt the hand of God on him, but then he looked to the Lord. And we can, we can feel guilty, we may not be able to sleep, but we can look to the Lord and we can seek forgiveness. Fear is because of sin. Sixthly, fear about death and eternity. Death has come on the horizon for many over recent months. The media seems to put it on so often. the death rate in view of COVID-19. But it's only the tip of the iceberg, isn't it? So many others who've had cancer and heart problems, who've had the flu, pneumonia, have passed away as well. But we are confronted at the moment, aren't we? You've got to be careful. You've got to leave your smartphone away for a while. Don't keep looking at the news. because you can become depressed because the media have a way of putting everything and it can stir up things but the reality is yes death is in view and fear can come for many death is on the horizon today i was talking to someone in the village about how many people die each day so many and fears can come in They can be panicked. Remember those shepherds' children? They were in the same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And though the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid, they were so fearful, because they thought, what's going to happen now? Here's the glory of the Lord. Are they about to die? Eternity came on view. You know that's so often missed out, isn't it? By so many. Why were they fearful? They were fearful. Were they going to live much longer? What was going to happen to them? You may be saying, are you exaggerating? No, how do I know? They were fearful of death and eternity because they're told the gospel. Why do we tell people the gospel? Because it's their only hope to be right with God to be ready for death and eternity. But shepherds, they were sore afraid, and there may be someone listening on, and you're sore afraid, and you're worried about death and eternity. Oh, go to Jesus. If you're not a Christian, go to Jesus. He's the only hope. Oh, there's life through Him. I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. If you're without Christ, wherever you are in this country, oh, go to Christ this morning hour. Sometimes believers get troubled in view of death. Yes, they know where they're going, but there can be trouble. Oh, they long for the comfort we read of in Psalm 23, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and my staff, they comfort me. They long for the comfort, it will come. But oh, they can be troubled. About death, the process, the valley, and I suggest many of the Lord's people do get a little troubled. There is honesty in some of the Lord's people, isn't there? Some, well, they're so focused and the Lord's helped them, but for many, I expect the majority, there is at least a little concern about the valley. Dear child of God, you'll get there. And he will comfort you before you see him. For thy rod and thy staff comfort me. Comfort will come in that valley. Even if you're unconscious, he will fulfill his word. And in a wonderful way, he'll bring the word home. And you'll know comfort before you leave this world and go to heaven. Not my words, it's the truth of Psalm 23, isn't it? But all fear can come. Fear, before we move and consider the second word, trust. Turn to Isaiah 35, verse three. Strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, be strong, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance. Even God with a recompense, he will come and save you. You see, those words are to be spoken. Similar, isn't it, to Isaiah 40? Comfort ye, comfort ye. Ministers of the Gospel are to bring words of comfort, besides words of warning. Because the Lord's people need it. It's plain, isn't it? Don't be ashamed then, if at times you find yourself fearful. Strengthen ye the weak hearts. Confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, be strong. Words of comfort for those who are fearful. And if you're fearful, I do get fearful at times. I'll be honest with you. It's no good having a minister who's not honest. I get fearful at times, but words of comfort. Be strong. Fear not. How often we read in the Bible, fear not, be not afraid, so many times. Why? Because we do get fearful at times. and the Lord knows his people, get faithful. Well, let's move on and consider more briefly, secondly, trust. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid. When thou shalt lie down, yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Now we are led here to consider but one knowing that strengthening of the grace of faith and having that eye focus on the Lord and then no sleep. Not always the case. We consider that already. But it happens at times. A calm can come. One is focused. It's a good thing to do, isn't it? To commit ourselves to the Lord. This word isn't heaven. Not all a rosy picture is it? You know some Christians they try to present such a rosy picture and I listen to them and I think they must be hiding something. Because Jesus said in the world ye shall have tribulation. Young people in this world children you will have tribulation in following Christ. There's a cross to bear. There's a cross to bear. It will not all be easy. It's good to be honest isn't it? Yes, we struggle, but it's good to commit ourselves to the Lord. Commit your way to the Lord. Psalm 37, verse 5, commit thy way unto the Lord. Trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass. You trust Him. You seek to commit your way to the Lord before you go to sleep. You know, the actual process or the activity of turning to the Lord and committing yourself to Him can be a help to disperse fear. Or we can have fears in the evening or turn to Him, Lord help me to focus, help me to commit all to Thee. And you know when we found praying that and we know the process of it, it can be a great blessing. Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Trust Him and He shall bring it to pass. Trust Him. In Psalm 56 verse 3, What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee. I will trust in Thee. He was fearful but he would trust the Lord. What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. Consider, hear these words, when thou liest down, thou should not be afraid. Thou should lie down and thy sleep shall be sweet. What's happened? There's the son, there's the believer. They've trusted the Lord. They committed it all to him. Dear brothers and sisters, in such sorrow and fear, look to the Lord. Look in his direction and exercise faith. And we have this word of Trust. There in Psalm 56, to be confident, to hope. Doubts like eyelids can come down over the eye of faith. Fear like smoke can make us scream. We'll turn to the Lord and look to Him. Trust Him. Let's humbly trust Him at this time. Not in a proud way, not in a boastful way, but in a humble way. Trust Him. He was the humble believer. Lord, I'm trusting Thee because I can't trust myself. I dare not lean on my own understandings. I haven't got the strength. I'm looking to Thee, Lord. Remember Mary, she was at the feet, listening to Jesus. That's where we need to be, at the feet, trusting Jesus. Oh, trust Him. In Psalm 91 verse 2 we read, I will save the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Him will I trust. In Him will I trust. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it before I go to bed. I'm going to do it before I face this new day. I'm going to trust Him. He is that place of safety. Trust Him. Surrender all to him, Proverbs 3 verse 5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. With all thine heart, surrender all. Commit your way to him your whole life. As an aid, stop and pray. How we need to stop. Sit still, my daughter. Naomi said to Ruth in Ruth 3, verse 18. It's not easy, is it? Fears, we make fear, and it's hard to focus. But sit still. How we need to stop. We can be restless. What do we read in Job 7, verse 4? When I lie down, I say, when shall I arise? And the night be gone, and I'm full of tossing to and fro unto the dawning of the day. There's this restlessness. in the mind, oh, to stop and focus. It's not easy, is it? And we can be troubled and perplexed, but, oh, to look in the Lord's direction, even when the whirlwind's going around our head, oh, to look in the Lord's direction, to lean on Him. We have our lawful concerns. We need to take them to the Lord. Ask the Lord to help. Pray for help. It's to stop, but also to pray. Pray for the Lord's help that you might be found trusting Him. That's interesting, isn't it? Pray for the Lord's help that you might be found trusting Him. Pray that the Holy Spirit would cultivate the grace of faith within. Pray where we have one to go to. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Ask him for help, that you might be found trusting him. Say to him, Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief. Help me, Lord. Place your confidence in him. Lean upon him. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understandings. What's the opposite of leaning on thine own understanding? It's trusting the Lord, isn't it? That's the opposite. Trust Him and believe the Word. That's what we see in Psalm 56 verse 4. There's David, he's depending on the promises of God as he looks to the Lord. In God I will praise His Word. In God I have put my trust. There's David, he's thinking of the Word. He's resting in the promises and he's trusting in the Lord. Lean on the Lord. You know we have that lovely sight in John 13 verse 23. You remember John, we read this now, there was leaning on Jesus bosom, one of his disciples whom Jesus loved. You know a child at the end of the day may lean on their father or mother. It's a winter's evening and the child leans on their father or mother and knows that warmth and that comfort, you lean on the bosom of Jesus in a spiritual way. Lean on Him, get close to Him at the end of the day. Get close to Him this day. You know, perhaps we use our smartphones too much on the Lord's Day. There is necessity. But perhaps we need to get closer to Jesus on the Lord's Day. I say it lovingly. We need to get closer to Him. We so need the Lord at this time. Turn your television off a bit more often in the week. Of course, we don't have it on for anything on the Lord's Day, do we? That's not profitable. Yes, we may watch a sermon or something like that. But you turn it off more often if you're fearful and you trust the Lord because we need to lean on Jesus. Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. You trust him. These are strange days. These are difficult days. You trust the Lord. Well, let's conclude then. Thirdly, sleep. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid. Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Sometimes one is restless in the evening and they can't sleep. I fell asleep too early the other night and I woke up at three in the week. I couldn't sleep again till about five. I couldn't get back to sleep. Sometimes I used to say to my mum, I can't sleep mum. You know, sleep is a precious thing, isn't it? To rest. But it's not always easy. But it's a blessing when we sleep. When we sleep, having trusted Jesus. And that's what we particularly see. When thou liest down, having considered wisdom and the wisdom of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. In Corinthians, thou should not be afraid. Yea, thou should lie down and thy sleep shall be sweet. We've trusted the Lord. and we've gone off to sleep. We've looked to Jesus and we've gone off to sleep. That's how I want to end every day. It's not always the good way for me. Sleep is a precious thing. In Ecclesiastes 5, verse 12, we read, The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much. He's worked hard. He's worked in an honest way. And it's sweet, his sleep. The mother who's been working hard in the home, attending to the needs of the family, cooking the meals, maybe going out for the family's sake to help bring in money. She's earned a well-earned sleep. Look at the little baby. So precious, isn't it, to see a little baby asleep. The eyes are open. The baby's looking for milk. The baby may have been crying as well because The little teeth are coming, but then the baby sleeps. And it's a precious thing, isn't it? Sleep is such a precious thing for a little one. In the winter months I like to put up my feet by the fire, and often I've soon fallen off to sleep, become cosy and warm. fallen off to sleep. And it's a precious thing when we can sleep. Oh, consider here the son. He slept having focused on Jesus. Oh, that's so important, isn't it? The son, the believer looking to him and his word, having committed his way to the Lord, then goes off to sleep. There are times when one is focused on the Lord and they calmly lie down. go off to sleep resting, that their times are in God's hands. You know I went through a time, a bit of fearful getting to sleep, but oh what a comfort when I knew my times are in God's hands. Oh that we would look to the Lord each evening. Spurgeon wrote, O Lord give us this calm repose on thee, that like David we may lie down in peace. and sleep each night while we live, and joyfully may we lie down in the appointed season to sleep in death, to rest in God. Fears can come, but look to the Lord. Rest that your times are in his hand. Believe the promises. Rest in his love and favour. Take comfort in his providence, even though it may be dark and mysterious. and then try to get to sleep. He will keep you. He will support you. He will preserve you at the appointed time. You leave this world till the appointed time. You trust him. Our times are in God's hand. Go off to sleep, resting in the Lord. Psalm 8, I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. I will. I'm in peace now. I'm looking to Thee, and I'm going to sleep. I'm going off to sleep tonight, trusting in the Lord. In this season of great affliction, when this deadly virus continues to sweep around this country, I'm going to sleep tonight, trusting in my Captain, trusting in my Saviour, that he will see me through this time, in every trial, until he welcomes me home to heaven. Fear, trust, sleep. It's hard to sleep at times, isn't it? Turn to the Lord, ask him for help, and commit your way unto him. Amen.