Psalm 119:148 | “My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise.”

The psalmist begins by describing his wakefulness in the night. His eyes remain open even before the watches, not because of anxiety or restlessness, but because his heart is set on the Lord. He stays awake so that he might meditate on God’s word. The stillness of the night provides space for reflection, when distractions are few and the soul can attend carefully to the promises of God. Spurgeon captures this image well: “Before the watchman cried the hour, he was crying to God.” While others slept and guards marked the passing of time, the psalmist fixed his mind on the word of the Lord. Matthew Henry then reminds us of the comfort behind such nighttime devotion: “And this is our comfort, when we pray in the night, that we can never come unseasonably to the throne of grace; for we may have access to it at all hours. Baal may be asleep, but Israel’s God never slumbers, nor are there any hours in which he may not be spoken with.” The night does not hinder communion with God. Whether in darkness or in light, the Lord is awake, attentive, and near to those who seek him in truth.