Tag Archives: Night

Singing with the King (49) – 24/7 Integrity

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You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night. You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong. (Psalm 17:3)

staring at the computerDo you wish you could say that? That the LORD God has come to you in the night and found in you nothing wrong? What is it about the night?

They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots. Their actions are never good. They make no attempt to turn from evil. (Psalm 36:4)

For, behold, the wicked bend the bow, They make ready their arrow upon the string To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart. (Psalm 11:2)

Violent enemies are hiding in every dark corner of the earth. (Psalm 74:20)

There’s just a few of the things we do in the dark, and because it is dark, we begin to think that: “The Lord isn’t looking,” they say, “and besides, the God of Israel doesn’t care.” (Psalm 94:7)

Sometimes we get stuck in the darkness: Some of you were prisoners suffering in deepest darkness and bound by chains. (Psalm 107:10)

Admit it or not, we intuitively know: If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. (Psalm 139:11,12)

But then something wondrous happens: “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:14)

broken chainsFor once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. (Ephesians 5:8-11)

What do your thoughts turn to at night? What do your actions betray? Whether gossip or greed, pride or porn, deception or destruction, don’t be what you were, be who you are in Christ—day and night.

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

Singing with the King (6) – Day & Night Delight

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But his delight is in the law of the LORD and in His law he meditates day and night. (Psalm 1:2)

Lion at SunsetIS your delight in the Law of the LORD? The Hebrew word for it is also translated as: pleasure, desire, please, purpose, and care. Two well known verses show how this word is used in other parts of Scripture:

She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. (Proverbs 3:15)

But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, he will see His offspring, he will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. (Isaiah 53:10)

So what is it we are delighting, desiring, and pleased about? The torah—which is Hebrew for law.

Not only must we delight in the law, but we meditate on it. Meditate is a colorful word; it means to moan, growl, utter, muse, mutter, devise, plot, speak, to roar, groan, and imagine.

One ancient saint translated it as chatter, much like the birds. Is the Law of the Lord something we talk and chatter about; but unlike the birds we do it day and night. Do we roar the word at night, much like the lions? Do we mutter, growl and moan when we wrestle with it until we find a blessing? Do we devise and plot ways to extract its meanings and applications?

The young lions roar after their prey and seek their food from God. (Psalm 104:21)

The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due time. (Psalm 145:15)

Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4)

All these actions we should carry out day and night. We meditate on the Word during the day, so that men might see our good works. We meditate on it throughout the night so we do no deeds that are dark or are done in darkness.

Let your de-light shine!