Proverbs 23:29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?

       There is nothing like the peace of a good night sleep when you have gone to bed with a clean and clear conscience. No woes, sorrows, contentions, wounds or redness of eyes, just pure joy and peace. “Is that even possible,” someone might ask? Yes, it is. The word of God says, Psalm 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makes me dwell in safety. The best part about our peaceful sleep is that we do not have to worry because our Lord is awake, taking care of our lives and our dreams. Psalm 121:4 Behold, he that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 
      How many times have you gone to bed with trouble on your heart and mind causing a restless night of tossing and turning? Was it because you went to bed with anger or unforgiveness in your heart? Eph. 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil. Why would the devil want you to go to bed with woes, sorrows, contentions, babbling, wounds or redness of eyes? Because it means you have taken on the cares of the world and as it says in the Gospel of Mark these cares will choke the word right out of your life. Mark 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
      We read in the book of Acts that Herod put Peter in prison, out of spite, to gain favor with the Jewish leaders. Now Peter is in jail on Herod’s whim and he is sleeping so peacefully and soundly that the angel of the Lord has to tap him with light to wake him up. Acts 12:7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell. Striking Peter on the side, he woke him up and said, “Quick, get up! ” And the chains fell off his wrists. 8 “Get dressed,” the angel told him, “and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Wrap your cloak around you,” he told him, “and follow me.”  
      Peter is so at ease and in a deep sleep that he has to be told to tuck himself in and strap up his sandals. This is a man with no woes, sorrows, or contentions on his mind; only the faith in the risen Lord. How do you get that type of peace and rest? How apropos that Peter would write in his epistle 1 Pet. 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you. Peter had the right idea by casting all his sorrow, grief, anxiety and suffering of the mind on the Lord because Peter knew Christ would do all those things for him.
      Paul writes in Rom. 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Most of Paul’s Epistles are written from prison and the peace and confidence that comes from him is awe-inspiring. 
      Was Paul in a position to have woes, sorrows, contentions? Yes, because we know he had wounds. 2 Cor. 11:24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Did Paul have the occasion to complain? Yes, and yet he writes in 2 Cor. 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Excuse me. Light affliction! Where does that perspective of peace come from? Lord, forgive me for thinking the music was too loud during last Sunday service.
      If you find yourself full of woes, sorrows, contentions, wounds, babbling or redness of eyes then it might be time to let the Holy Spirit, your Comforter into your life for an attitude adjustment. Perhaps a chiropractic correction is needed to give us some spine in our walk with Christ. Less complaining and more praying so that we find our peace in Him who first loved us. As my Aussie pastor would say, “Come on mate, get up, and let’s give it another go. There are no worries here, just victory when we find it.” Thank you, Pastor Hannah, for what you sowed into my life.