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VALLEY CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

What Keeps You Up at Night?

10/24/2020

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 a young man I remember sleeping well at night.  Even when I worked nights, I slept well during the daylight hours.  But for most of my adult life I have not slept well; I have a difficult time shutting my mind off and often lay awake late into the night. I know God's word tells me he grants sleep to those he loves (Psalm 127:2), but I have struggled to claim this promise.

Yet even so, I know that I am in a covenant relationship with the God, never is there a time when I am not under HIs care, He is the God who sits up with me.  
By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me. (Palm 42:8) 

I think too of the promises found in Psalm 91: 
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. (Psalm 91:1-2,4-5)

Often my thoughts dwell on my kids, on what his happening in their lives, sometimes my heart aches for them.  Sometimes my thoughts are focused on you, the people of Valley, when you hurt, I hurt.  And there are times when my thoughts turn toward what awaits me in the morning; sometimes if feels a bit overwhelming.  But there are also times when I find myself draw to God, to His grace and love for me.

On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.  Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me. (Psalm 63:6-8)

It is God who gives me peace.  
In peace I will lie down and sleep, f
or you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8) 

In speaking to Job, Zophar says, You will be secure, because there is hope; 
you will look about you and take your rest in safety. You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid. (Job 11:18-19)

​He is always with me, night and day.  
He guided (His pepole) with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night. (Psalm 78:14)

Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”

Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord.   

With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence,  with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalm 16:1-2, 5-8,11) 

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Count Your Blessings

10/10/2020

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The Bible clearly exhorts us as God's people to Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever ( Chronicles 16:34).  Similiarily, the songwriter encourages us to Count your blessings, name them one by one; count your blessings, see what God has done. 

As we come to Thanksgiving 2020, perhaps more so than any other year in recent history, in the year of Covid-19, we need to pause and reflect on the goodness and grace we have experienced from God and to offer to Him our sacrifice of thanksgiving (Psalm 116:17).

As I think about the blessings God has poured out in my life, I am grateful for the covenant relationship I with my Father.  I know that I am loved by Him and that He desires to break into my life and lead me according to His good purposes; that daily He invites me to walk with Him, to fellowship with Him.  Here I think of the words of  God to the prophet Jeremiah: Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

I am also grateful that God watches over me; He is the God who sees and the God who cares, who provides and protects those who belong to Him.  The Psalmist writes:  He will watch over your life; 
 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore (Psalm 121:7-8).  As I comtemplate all that has happened in these past months, I am particularly grateful for God's intervening grace in the life of our son Scott.  On the night he was hospitialized with the coronavirus, God revealed Himself once again as the God who sits up with us.  We are grateful for the safe and healthy arrival of our grandson, Riley and for the grace extended to him when he too was diagnosed with Covid-19.  In the early days of the pandemic, that was a scary time but looking back, God has been good to our family.

So, not surprisingly, I am thankful for family and friends; for a church family that is sharing this journey with us.  The Bible says we have been knit together in love (Colossians 2:2 - NKJV); that we should love one another deeply, from the heart (1 Peter 1:22).  Over the past 13 years we have shared some mountain top experiences  and at times we have walked through the valley together and in all things, our God has remained faithful and God.  As I give thanks, I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God.


My friends at Valley, God has been so very good to you, what do you say?

As you pause and reflect this Thanksgiving, I want to invite you to respond to this posting by sharing three things for which you are thankful.  

I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving (Psalm 69:30).
3 Comments

    Author

    Ken Clarke has been the Pastor at Valley since 2007. He lives in the Oliver area 
    with his wife Janice. They have three adult children, Lisa, Scott & Tiffany (Riley, Charlie), Andrea & Jason (Noah, Luke).

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4312 Black Sage Road Box 1235 Oliver, BC V0H 1T0 250-498-4829 valleyccc@hotmail.com