Eastertide

April 15, 2020

Scripture Reading: Psalm 16

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
   in the night also my heart instructs me.
I keep the Lord always before me;
   because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
   my body also rests secure.
For you do not give me up to Sheol,
   or let your faithful one see the Pit.

You show me the path of life.
   In your presence there is fullness of joy;
   in your right hand are pleasures for evermore. –Psalm 16:7-11

Nighttime is my cogitating time, and I do share that with the Lord. Psalm 63 is one of my favorite Psalms. I particularly like verses 5-7:

My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,
   and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
when I think of you on my bed,
   and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
for you have been my help,
   and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.

I wish I could say I keep the Lord always before me, but many times these early morning meetings with God are making up for my failure to keep the Lord before me consciously. It is in those lack of conscious connections, I fall back on trusting the Spirit to hang with me on automatic pilot. Athletes call it muscle memory. To have muscle memory, one must continually work out and practice. My faith workout often occurs in those night meetings. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul advises us to Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. It is also the foundation of faith.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the consistency of your presence in those time when my life switches to automatic pilot. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.