Monday Reflection – November 08, 2021

Monday Reflection – November 08, 2021
Meditating on and Praising God

God, I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night. Psalm 63:6

Psalm 63 was written while David was on the run in the wilderness of Judah. Whether it was David’s wilderness years before he came to the throne of Israel, or to his brief exile from the throne due to the rebellion of his son Absalom, or the wilderness years when hunted by King Saul one is not sure. What is certain is that David is on the run, moving from place to place like a fugitive. He begins Psalm 63 by expressing his thirst for God. David’s soul demanded to be satisfied early in the day. ‘Early’ has the sense of early in the morning, but also of eagerness and immediacy. His longing for God is for the here and now. Through this thirst, David is also proclaiming his allegiance to God. He could have sought satisfaction elsewhere, but he knew fully well that only God truly satisfies.

Another significant element that David speaks of is the greatness of God’s love. Such love stirs David to praise God. David is motivated to pursue God because of God’s lovingkindness. The lovingkindness of God was better, more meaningful to David, than life itself. This means that David knew and experienced something of God’s lovingkindness that gave him comfort and assurance. It’s amazing where people go to quench their thirst and fulfill their yearnings; concerning where people go to for comfort and assurance. Many turn to the things of the world and people for this. Some soon realize that these may only offer temporary satisfaction, if any at all. People regard life as natural, but David regarded God’s great love as natural. People enjoy life, but David enjoyed God’s great love. People value life, but David valued God’s great love. People are in despair without the sense of life, but David was in despair without the sense of God’s great love.

In today’s Watchword, David believes that there are not enough hours in the day to think upon God’s greatness and goodness. Therefore, he also used the night watches to meditate upon God. Watches of the night stresses the slow progress of the hours. I imagine that since David was on the run, he could not allow himself to fall into deep sleep, or sleep any at all, lest his enemies find him. Thus, he utilized his time reflecting on God’s goodness in the past and craving for God so He can rescue and deliver him. No doubt, solitude and stillness render the watches of the night a suitable time for meditation on the mercies of God.

What do we do with our time? How much of our time do we spend meditating on God? How much time is reserved for reflecting on God’s love, mercies and grace? I imagine that most, if not all, of us have had nights where we cannot sleep. Perhaps sleep just can’t come, or we are troubled to the extent that sleep is hard to come. We may have so much on our minds that sleep becomes a stranger. What do we do in these times? I challenge us to use these times to meditate on God and commune with Him. May these times serve to develop a yearning for God. I pray we will find time to reflect on God and all of God’s lovingkindness to us, and offer our wholehearted praise and adoration as we sing of His goodness.

Jermaine Gibson