EBENEZER: STONE OF HELP

You shall have a song as in the night when a holy feast is kept, and gladness of heart, as when one sets out to the sound of the flute to go to the mountain of the LORD, to the ROCK of Israel. Isaiah 30:29

REMEMBER VERSE

In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and REMEMBRANCE are the desire of our soul. My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you… Isaiah 26:8-9A

DEVOTION

Wrinkles or grey hair are not the worst parts of aging. The worst has been my body’s surprising and disappointing refusal to sleep. No matter how tired I am, I struggle to fall asleep. And then I wake up repeatedly through the night, after which I have a hard time going back to sleep.

Give me something good to worry about, and sleep becomes a total stranger. I can lay for hours in the dark, helpless to make myself doze off.

Redemption for this problem? REMEMBERING my Lord in the night. When all is dark and quiet and the other souls in my home snore away, I have the perfect time to pray. No interruptions. No questions. No one needs help or food. I can just pray.

The peace that descends will eventually quiet me back to slumber. But while I’m awake, my purpose in spiritual warfare far exceeds my enjoyment of sleep.

• I REMEMBER your name in the night, O LORD, and keep your law. Psalm 119:55

• …when I REMEMBER you upon my bed, and MEDITATE on you in the watches of the night. Psalm 63:6

• PRAYER: Thank You Lord for giving me such a worthwhile occupation in my wakeful hours. I pledge to use the time I am awake to praise You and pray for others.

• You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I consider the days of old, the years long ago. I said, "Let me REMEMBER my song in the night; let me MEDITATE in my heart." Then my spirit made a diligent search: … I will REMEMBER the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. Psalm 77:4-6, 11

• PRAYER: Lord, when I am troubled and cannot sleep, please help me remember You. Remind me to use that time to praise You or pray for others.

QUESTIONS

What do you worry about in the middle of the night?

How would exchanging worry with remembering the Lord change your wakeful hours?

Write a list of “The Lord’s Wonders” (Psalm 77:11). If you wake up in the middle of the night and cannot sleep, add items of His wonders. Use the time to praise HIm.

CHALLENGE

Make a list of prayer needs and put it by your bed. If you wake up in the middle of the night look at it and use your awake time to pray.

All Scripture from the ESV. Emphasis added.

Tomorrow on Day 23 we will remember the God Gave The Law

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