Key scripture- “My soul is in deep anguish. How long, LORD, how long?” (Psalm 6:3 NIV)

Have you ever felt so overwhelmed with problems that you wake up in the middle of the night, and as you lay there thoughts swirl in your head then you can’t go back to sleep so you just get up?

That usually happens when a medical diagnosis plunges us into the unknown; when we have felt the sting of rejection in a relationship and it leaves us scarred and alone; when our best dreams shatter and fall apart; when our finances are upside down; when fear imprisons us and worries flood our heart … we find ourselves wrestling with our questions in the darkness of disappointment and despair. And we wonder …

Will peace ever trump this pain?
Will joy ever replace this sadness?
Will beauty ever grow from this brokenness?
Will courage ever replace this fear?
Will morning ever come and replace this darkness?

It’s in these “long nights of the soul” where we can find great comfort in Scripture, especially the book of Psalms. Through these words, we peer into the hearts of other wrestling souls and hear the timeless echoes of our own impatient cries.

“My soul is in deep anguish. How long, LORD, how long?” (Psalm 6:3, NIV)

“How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” (Psalm 13:2, NIV)

“How long must I wait?” (Psalm 119:84a, NLT)

But the Psalms offer more than empathy when we’ve reached the end of our rope. These sacred words suggest a strategy for holding on to hope.

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” (Psalm 143:8, NIV)

“But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress.” (Psalm 59:16, NLT)

The timeless truth of the Psalms remind us our hope doesn’t hinge on the surety of the sunrise, but on the loyalty of the Risen Son, Jesus.

God’s Word reminds us that even when our circumstances take a turn for the worse, God’s love remains the same and nothing can separate us from His love. (Romans 8:38-39) Though our faith may waver, His faithfulness won’t. Hope flourishes when we shift our gaze from the darkness that surrounds us to the Love that encircles us and we focus on the truth that He never ever leaves us, and in the certainty of His love and faithfulness, we find peace for the present and strength for the days to come. “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5b, NIV)

So the next time you wake up and can’t go back to sleep, slip out of your bed, get on your knees, pray, and tell God, “Father, instead of laying here and fretting and worrying I am giving all these problems to You, because You are my Shepherd and You carry me and my problems. You have told us You are always watching over us and that you never slumber or sleep. You know how much I need my sleep so I am going to go back to bed and leave all of this with You. I know You’ve got this. I know that I am safe in Your arms. I will see You in the morning. In Jesus Name, I pray, Amen.”

Pray this – Our Precious Heavenly Father, thank You for being with me in my times of distress and my times of delight. Help me cling to your faithfulness when I’m losing my grip on hope. Like the Psalmist I proclaim, I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let me stumble; the one who watches over me will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The Lord himself watches over me! The Lord stands beside me as my protective shade. The sun will not harm me by day, nor the moon at night. The Lord keeps me from all harm and watches over my life. The Lord keeps watch over me as I come and go, both now and forever.(Psalm 121:1-8). Father, shift my eyes away from my questions and qualms, and set my sights on your unquestionable love. In Jesus’ Precious Name, I pray, Amen.

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