Weekend Words

From Be Still and Know...

photo credit: Jefferson (on a starry night camped near Mt Kosciuszko)

"When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches" (Psalm 63:6)

Often in the night time when we are wakeful, out minds go back to the past and memories flood our thinking.  Our memory seems to work overtime at night.

David had remembered the wonderful things God had done for him, and pondered on God's wonderful kindness to him.  "Because Your loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You" (Psalm 63:3, Amplified).  How dear life is to us.  We make every effort to prolong it and care for it.  But David believed that the loving-kindness of God was better than life.

In the barren places of our lives, in times of helplessness, we, too, can experience God's loving-kindness.  As we recognize all that God has and is doing for us, what joy it will bring into our lives.

When we can't sleep, how often we begin to think of all the things we have to do, or we worry about our problems.  The more we try to sleep, the wider awake we become.  But David had learned a wonderful way of spending his sleepless hours at night.  He had a wonderful occupation, remembering God and meditating on Him.  His experiences with God were real.  Thinking of Him in the night watches brought joy.  He said, "When I remember THEE upon my bed, and meditate on THEE in the night watches" (Psalm 63:6).

This is a wonderful occupation for our sleepless nights.  We can think of all that He has done for us and meditate upon who He is.  Instead of counting sheep, we can count our blessings, numbering them one by one.  As we do this, our hearts will be filled with praise.  What sweet times we can have with Him in the quietness of the night.  What peace He will bring to us.  It may be He has some special word to share with us for our encouragement and comfort.  It may even be a gentle admonition.

Meditation is not dependent on books, methods, or our own efforts.  We are to meditate on HIM. "My meditation of HIM shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord" (Psalm 104:34).

photo credit: Natasha (from Vermont, USA)

From Our Daily Bread Classic Gems...

Walking With God - Read Genesis 5:18-24

"Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." - Genesis 5:24

As we read through the Bible, Genesis 5 sounds like official records kept by the authorities.  Name, age at death, survivors.  But in this terse list, we are suddenly confronted with a man who stands out from everyone else.  "Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away" (v. 24).

We don't know much else about Enoch.  He probably took care of the herds, worked the land, and cared for his family.  Whatever his duties were, we know that he had an ongoing conversation with God.  Enoch expressed his joys, his hurts, his confusions, and the responsibility he felt for his children.  He walked with God.

Enoch came to love what God loves and hate what God hates.  More interesting, though, the Lord was pleased with Enoch (Hebrews 11:5).  One day, He must have said something like: "Enoch, we've come a long way together.  Why don't you just come on home and stay with Me?"  The ancient writer simply reports: "Then he was no more, because God took him away" (Genesis 5:24).

The Lord still looks for those who will walk with Him.  What a privilege for us!  The One who is the Creator of the cosmos, the Ruler of heaven, and the Redeemer of mankind seeks our friendship.  Are we seeking His?

Reflect and Pray:

Savior, let me walk beside Thee,

Let me feel my hand in Thine;

Let me know the joy of walking

In Thy strength and not in mine. - Sidebotham