Probably due to a number of factors, I’ve been awake through the “watches of the night,” the wee hours of the morning when most of the world prefers to sleep. Jet lag from my Malawi trip mixed with work-related decisions I need to make are leading me to sleep perhaps from 10:00pm until 1:00am, sometimes 2am, or like today I was awake from midnight on. In those long, dark hours, particularly in the Pacific Northwest during wintry nights when it is dark from 4:30pm – 7:30am, I have some choices to make. Should I flip this way and that in bed, getting frustrated that I can’t get the sleep my body longs for? Or should I go over and over the decisions I need to make, considering various angles and elements? Or should I get up and get busy working down in my office? Or should I withdraw to a quiet place (there are many options at that hour!) and meet with the Lord, who “never slumbers nor sleeps?” (Ps. 121:4)
Although I’ve tried all these options at various times, the one I’ve settled on is the fourth – withdrawing to a quiet place with Bible in hand and committing hours to time with the Lord. This follows a biblical precedent, which is reassuring to know I am in good company with others who have gone before me meditating on the Lord through the night.
Jeremiah is one example, in Lamentation 2:19: “Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches! Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord!”
One of my favorites is Psalm 63:5-8 where David writes:
“My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
6 when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.”
Far from a frustrating time of restlessness and anxiety, it seems that David enjoys soul satisfaction and joyful praise as he remembers and meditates on the Lord. He is our help, and we cling to Him when we are weak, weary, and wired.
The theme of “watches of the night,” and the “night watchman,” (Ezekiel 33) led me to consider the responsibility I have to be on the alert on behalf of God’s people rather than being sluggish or distracted. There are enemies seeking to undo us and God’s church, and just as a watchman stationed on the city wall must stay vigilant against opposing forces, we must remain on guard against spiritual forces that work to suppress God’s work in the world. 1 Cor. 16:13 and 1 Peter 5:8-9 are examples where we are warned and challenged to be strong and stay alert.
Recently, I’ve watched a few episodes of the series “Band of Brothers” that highlights some of the missions that troops like EZ company engaged in during World War 2. The nights were grueling, often freezing cold, many threats surrounding them, yet they needed to stay sharp, engaged in the battle, and because they took their responsibility seriously, even at risk of their own lives, the world gained a great victory.
Holly and I watched the new movie about Dietrich Bonhoeffer the other night, and I was inspired by his example as he was a champion for the church against dark forces in Germany. Likewise, each of us are in a spiritual battle (Eph. 6:12-18) and we must stay alert and engaged, fighting for God’s kingdom and advancing His glory globally.
I hope you are encouraged, brothers and sisters, especially if you are joining me with wakeful hours through the watches of the night, to make the most of that time. Saints down through the ages have been awakened by a nudge from the Spirit to pray for some person, to seek the Lord in some aspect of their life, and as they (and we) respond well, the Lord offers sweet fellowship, for He is always ready and waiting for us.