PSALM 16:7 – “I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.”
THEME OF THE DAY: VISITS IN THE NIGHT. Sleepless nights. We each have them. Perhaps often. There are all kinds of reasons. One high on the list for many people is worry. And along with worry is stress, anxiety, and pain. It could be physical or emotional pain. Even depression may keep us awake. A racing mind is still yet another reason. We just cannot turn the thoughts of the day off.
However, consider this one. It is scriptural. It is the Lord visiting us as we see with David in today’s scripture. Maybe the Lord is keeping us awake to get our attention because we are too busy to meet and hear Him in the day? In the following portion of scripture, we have another example of God’s visiting His people at night. It is Samuel. Take time and think about his experience.
“Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. Then the LORD called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. And the LORD called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the LORD came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” Then the LORD said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.” Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” And Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the LORD. Let him do what seems good to him”” (1 Samuel 3:1-18).
The next time a sleepless night occurs, let’s not be quick to dismiss it as being from the Lord seeking us. He might have counsel to give. Let’s be sensitive to visits in the night from Him!
PRAYER: Father, help me not dismiss those sleepless nights as You seeking my attention.
REFLECTION: Sleepless nights are often caused by the Lord to get our attention because we are too busy in the day.