I can't sleep.............Praise God!

Psalm 63 (New International Version, ©2011)

 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.

Do you ever have a hard time getting to sleep? On occasion, I wake up at 3 or 4am. I always have difficulty getting back to sleep. Sometimes I start thinking about all the tasks I have the next day. Many times, this happens when I have a big tournament to host, or several different events going on at the same time. IIt really can be furstrating be awake at 4am in the morning, wanting to go back to sleep. But, instead I am going through the day like it was already happening. 

 A few years ago, when this happened, I decided to just spend this special "awake time" praying. At first it was not easy. I lost concentration and would always drift back to thinking about the day ahead. But, the more I do it, the easier it becomes. Now when I wake up in the middle of the night, I naturally just use it to spend time with God.

I wonder if this is what David was going through? Obviously, being King, he had worries and stresses that kept him awake at night. But, "he thought of God through the watches of the night."  It can be a great time of quiet. It can be a great time of bonding with the King of the Universe. It can be a great time for God to speak to my heart. 

I can't say I look forward to waking up in the middle of the night. But, I don't dread it anymore. I'm not as frustrated. Maybe it's Gods way of getting my attention. Maybe he just longs to be with me and knows this is a time when he will get my undivided attention. So, "Praise God..........I can't sleep!"