Don't Sleep Your Night Away!

For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life;

Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5

To be honest when I was getting ready to write this blog the title of it was completely different. It was different because I was focusing on the wrong part of the scripture. I wasn’t focusing on what God wanted me to focus on. The title was “Joy Comes in the Morning,” but that’s not what the Lord would have me to contemplate upon today. Normally when we read “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” we tend to concentrate on the morning part. But there is something to be said about the “night” seasons of our lives. First off, what is the “night” season? Many times in the bible the word night would refer to a time of pain, suffering, sorrow, despair and/or disappointment in one’s life. This is the season when nothing that God is doing seems to make any sense. In fact, it may seem as if He is doing nothing at all in your life. The “night” seasons are those seasons where God doesn’t appear to be present or moving on your behalf. It may seem as if God has completely forgotten about you. It can be painful and hard to smile in the “night” season. But as I began to study this scripture, the Lord began to highlight some important elements about the “night” season.

Many times we are too focused on the night being over. We pray for the morning, fast for the morning, weep for the morning to come, but never take the time to fully understand the purpose of the night.

God speaks to us in the night season.  In 1 Samuel 3:1, the bible declares that, “…the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.” God was rarely speaking to His people and there was no divine revelation at all in that time. But something miraculous happened as young Samuel lies in bed. The Lord begins to speak to him giving him divine revelation and the word of the Lord. Notice the Lord did not speak to him in the morning or in the day, but at night. It was in the night that Samuel began to hear the Word of the Lord. It was also in the night that the Lord began to establish Samuel as the Prophet of God. Two things happened that night: Samuel began to hear the voice of God and his calling was revealed to him. It is in your night season, your darkest moments that God will speak if you will listen. It’s in your night season that the Lord will reveal the calling on your life and unlock your spiritual gifts.

In the night seasons of our lives we should be studying the Word, listening to the Word, fasting, praying, and listening for the voice of God. Some of us have given up and are not doing these things anymore. Many of us are too busy waiting for the morning to come and we are missing what God is saying in the night. My friend, there is more to gain in the valley than on the mountain top.

We know that joy comes in the morning; it’s a promise which means it’s for certain. So why do we sleep our nights away? Why are we sleeping? Spiritually I mean. Many of us are spiritually asleep in our night season. Consequently, we’re not receiving all that God has for us in the spirit realm. I say “we” and “us” because I’m first partaker of this Word.

There is much that God has to say to us if we will seek Him despite of how we feel. There are spiritual gifts waiting to be unlocked if we would press in His presence a little further. Don’t waste this time in the valley. Get all that God wants to give you. Morning will come, but don’t dare go into your next season empty-handed. Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light. (Eph. 5:14). So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober (1 Thess. 5:6). Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God (Rev. 3:2). Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed! (Rev. 16:15). Don’t sleep your night away.

 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Rev. 3:22

Be Blessed.

A.M.