Sleepless in the Desert of Judah

If Psalm 63 gets made into a movie, the title might be "Sleepless in the Desert of Judah" (okay...not as catchy as "Sleepless in Seattle" :)). "On my bed I remember You; I think of You through the watches of the night. Because You are my Help, I sing in the shadow of Your wings. I cling to You; Your right hand upholds me." (Psalm 63:6-8)

I'm pretty sure all of us have had some sleepless nights (some more so than others). Is your mind working overtime, jumping from one worry to another or thinking of all the things that you have to do the next day? David turned his sleepless night into a worshipful time with God. He lay awake thinking of God and meditated on Who God is and what God has done. David remembered and acknowledged that God had helped him and protected him. He chose to cling to God and rest in God's loving & mighty hand which had kept him safe and secure. "I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and Your glory." (verse 2) David's confidence was in God because he had experienced God's presence and had seen God's power and glory. To David, God's unfailing love is better than life itself (verses 3 & 4, "Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You. I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your Name I will lift up my hands.") Therefore, he continued to praise God and sing praises to Him even in the midst of great distress. "But the king will rejoice in God." (verse 11a)

To ponder: 

• When in distress, what's your default mode of reaction/response? Panic or pray?

• Where are your hope, rest, and confidence? In God or in people or in things? 

• Do you truly believe that God's love is better than life and live accordingly?

• Whom or what do you cling to? 

• What do you do during sleepless nights? Dwelling on worries/anxieties? Instead, we should pray and give God all our concerns/burdens. He is our Burden Bearer and Rest Giver.

A cure for sleepless nights is to turn our thoughts to God. Next time you cannot sleep, try turning your sleepless night into a quiet time of reflection, prayer, and worship. Use that time to review how God has guided, provided, protected, and blessed you. Instead of counting sheep, count your blessings and remind yourselves of God's faithfulness. Thoughts of God will calm your soul and lead you into true rest.  

Rest in God and sleep well, my friends :)!