There is something about the night. Things of the day fade away. Quiet descends. Perhaps we are restless. Often we are at peace, but always we are alone with our thoughts. It is in these quiet moments that we are often best able to listen to the voice of God.
Once, I was deeply absorbed with a problem that defied every attempt I made to solve it. I wrestled for days, seeking some way of balancing competing interests. Then one night, while lying quietly on my bed, I committed the situation to God. “Lord, I don’t know what to do. I will just have to trust you to do whatever you want.”
With that prayer I rolled over to go to sleep, but then then the first bit of a solution appeared to my mind. “Lord, is that from you?” I wondered. I began to listen, and the answer gradually came. What had eluded me so thoroughly became clear. It was, indeed, the right answer.
Someone might suggest that this was simply my own thoughts, but I knew better. My heart, in the quiet of the night, had at last moved in response God’s prompting. I thanked Him for the insight that had been impossible to find previously.
God speaks to us in many ways. Not every nighttime thought is from Him, or we’d do some truly crazy things. But there are moments when the voice of God comes clearly. We need to thank Him and obey.
Thank you, Father, for being the one who counsels and guides me. Day or night, I will follow your instruction. Amen
Go Deeper — Think of a time when the Lord guided you. How did it happen? What made you sure that the answer was from Him? Thank Him, and commit to following His leading in the future.
Photo Credit: Lukas Budimaier