To be near unto God - pagina 46

most dreams are forgotten on waking. And at rare times they leave a memory, nothing but vague, vanishing and mixed images float before the mind. Even the petition from the

when

old evening song, "In sleeping let me wait on Thee; in dreams be Thou my joy," does not de-

termine, save in rarest instances, the content of our dreams.

This does not deny, however, that without our

knowing it, and even while we sleep the Spirit of God ministers to our spirit and builds up our inner

life.

Also, in connection with this, the

mystery of our existence by night includes certain effective ministries of God. But we can not deal with them, because they go on in our unconsciousness. At times, on awaking, we may be able to solve certain difficulties which troubled us the night before, and he who fears the Lord will thank him for this. But even then it is always a work of God, which we do not understand, and of which we can only say with the Psalmist (118:23), "This is the Lord's doing. It is marvelous in our eyes."

Our existence by night only obtains a conscious significance when, through sickness, care or old age our sleep is broken. With respect to this the Scripture declares: "In the night our reins instruct us." Says the Psalmist (77:6), In the night I commune with mine own heart. Isaiah adds (26:9), With my soul have I desired Thee in the night. And Job declares (35:10), God is my Maker, who giveth songs in the night. This provides a school of learning which we should take more seriously into account. Sleeplessness is a trying experience, which affects all of the next day. But it is a

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