Proverbs 20:13Do not love sleep, lest you become impoverished; open your eyes so that you might be satisfied with food.Proverbs Daily is a reader-supported publication. All posts are free, but all donations help spread the message. When you see the word upgrade, you're simply invited to help me make the sacred positively contagious...thank you in advance for becoming a free or paid subscriber.I gotta confess—I still have some work to do when it comes to my eating habits.Over the years, I’ve definitely improved (shout out to growth!), but one of my long-time struggles is this: I eat fast. Like, too fast.I developed the habit as a kid when I felt like food wasn’t always guaranteed or abundant. So I’d eat quick—gobble everything down before someone could ask for a bite. And I was slick, I had tricks! Like I’d mix my food all together into this “food jambalaya” that looked so weird my siblings wouldn’t even think of asking for some:“Oh you want some of my beans…the one’s with the Bread N Butter pickles? Oh you don’t OK…But old habits have a way of following you. Now, even as an adult, I catch myself shoveling food in—I mean just racing through a meal without tasting it. And what’s wild? When I eat like that, I almost always go back for seconds. Sometimes thirds. (But hey, at least I don’t go for fourths anymore… shout out to progress)Shout out to My wife, every now and then when she sees me galloping through a meal, in her gracious wisdom, she’ll catch me mid-gobble and say, “Baby…(that’s how she says it with that Southern flow…Babaaay)…Slow down…Chew your food…Enjoy the moment.” And for a split second, yeah I get a little offended—like,“What you mean? I’m over here minding my business, enjoying my foo…”And then I realize:Hold up…I’m not even really enjoying this food…I’m just consuming. Mindlessly. Almost like I’m eating in my sleep.Think about that phrase: Eating in your sleep.Because Proverbs 20:13 doesn’t just talk about physical sleep—it’s about living in a fog. A dreamlike state where you’re unaware, unsatisfied, always reaching for more—without realizing you already have enough.“It’s only when you wake up that you notice you are dreaming.”That’s the quote my wife sent me recently. (Shout out to spouses who send the coolest quotes and memes and posts to your phone all day) When I read this quote, I started thinking… How many of us live in a dreamlike fog—scrolling, numbing, comparing, consuming—but never waking up to the blessings right in front of us?Jesus taught us to pray:“Give us this day our daily bread.”Not a banquet. Not a buffet. Bread. And then immediately, according to the order of the prayer, He told us to ask for forgiveness… Why? Maybe because we don’t always see the bread God has already provided. Or worse—we step over the bread on our way to chase something shinier.But when you awaken… when you become present… You realize: You already have enough. You slow down. You taste the moment. You chew it. You savor it. And suddenly… you’re satisfied with so much less.Let’s Be Clear—Sleep Isn’t the Enemy in this verse.God created sleep. Rest is sacred. And in our hustle culture, we actually need more of it.But that’s not what Proverbs 20:13 is warning us about.This is about the kind of sleep that numbs your purpose. That fog of distraction. That laziness that refuses to stay woke to responsibility, to relationships, or reality. You know it when you feel it—that emotional autopilot. The groggy soul that misses divine opportunities because you’re too fogged out to notice.In this context, you can see how that zombie-like state of living leads to poverty, not just financial—but a spiritual and emotional emptiness that comes from living disconnected from your moment.So, wake up.Look around.Taste and see.You already have enough.PrayerHelp me slow down and see this moment’s full provision.Today’s ChallengePause and savor something simple today—a meal, a moment, a conversation. Say out loud: This is ‘bread from God’ . I will accept it and be full.About the AuthorFred Lynch is a creative communicator, author, and Christian Hip Hop pioneer. To learn more about Fred and what he’s up to now…click here or you can find him in all the socials by searching the handle: heyfredlynch📱Experience Proverbs Daily by Subscribing!Ready to receive daily wisdom directly on your phone?Go to proverbsdaily.org for the app or just click that Subscribe button right now!Be Wise and Be Well...peace.Thanks for reading Proverbs Daily! This post is public so feel free to share it.
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