Ep. 148 — Dominican Update + “Which By Night”
Which By Night.
This morning, I read Psalm 133 + 134. Wow.
Psalm 134, the last song in the “songs of ascent.” If ever a line has “jumped off the page” at me, one did today!
“Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord…Lift up your had in the sanctuary and bless the Lord. The Lord that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.”
“Which by night stand in the house of the Lord.”
I recognize that this little chapter was addressed to the Levites who kept the care of the tabernacle; the temple on the night shift, but I think a broader point can be drawn.
“Bless the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord.” Bless Him when you stand in darkness, when you refuse to walk away when the lights go out. Bless Him, all of you who in the darkest nights of your life continue to serve; continue to stay in the house of the Lord. Bless Him when your mind cannot comprehend or fathom what the Lord may possibly be doing. Bless Him with Job when he sat in the dust and ashes of his former existence and “worshipped:” “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return thither: the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21) Bless the Lord when the pain of loss and the weight of grief eclipse the “light of the Lord.” Keep blessing Him. Keep standing in the house of the Lord.
Keep blessing, keep trusting. As Isaiah wrote, “Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of His servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon His God.” (Isaiah 50:10)
The Lord knows waht he is doing in the “night shift,” and it is good, and right, and proper to continue to trust, to worship, and to cling to hope!
“Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and bless teh Lord.” (v. 2) And then… “the Lord that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.” (v. 3)
“Whatever dark tunnel we may be called upon to travel through, God has been there. Whatever deep waters seem to drown us, He has traversed.”
—E. Elliott (On Asking God Why)
Thank you for joining me for this journey!
Go grab your Bible and your journal!
I look forward to the power of this habit in your life. This is Unedited.