READ Psalm 63:5–8. 5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. 6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. 7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. 8 I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.
THE WATCHES OF THE NIGHT. Sleepless nights, tossing and turning, filled with anxiety and fear . . . Who has not had that experience? David puts his sleeplessness to a different use—he sings to God, praising him and thinking about his love, his goodness, and above all his protection. The “watches of the night” refer to military changes of the guard, and David is awake through all of them, so he has time for his mind to wander. But instead he clings to God, staying close enough to him to feel his presence helping him, as close as a baby chick under its mother’s wing. Training our hearts to spend our sleepless nights in praise and fellowship with God will redeem our frustration, turning it into a cherished intimacy with our Savior.
Prayer: Lord, I praise you that you are a God who satiates. Teach me how to praise you with such joy and wonder and love that when I am finished I feel full, satisfied with you. And teach me how to cling to you in prayer with such tenacity that when I am finished I feel utterly safe. Amen.