Kept Through the Night

“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)

One of the first prayers many of us learned as children was simple and direct:

Now I lay me down to sleep,  

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.  

If I should die before I wake,  

I pray the Lord my soul to take.

Even in its simplicity, that prayer teaches trust. As children, we placed our whole selves—our sleep, our fears, our very souls—into God’s hands without hesitation.

Psalm 143 gives us a picture of David doing the same thing, but from the other side of life. We can almost see him lying awake, the weight of responsibility pressing on his chest, the unknowns of tomorrow stirring anxiety. After all, haven’t we all been there? Restless and exhausted, he turns to the One he knows will not fail him.

David’s restlessness doesn’t disqualify his faith, and neither does our own; it becomes the very place where trust is renewed.

David trusts that the night will not last forever. Even if sleep never comes, morning will. And with the morning comes the reminder of God’s unfailing love. The problems that kept him tossing and turning may still be waiting, but he will not face them alone. The Lord is with him in the darkness and in the dawn, guiding his steps.

As surely as we once entrusted our souls to God as children, we can entrust our lives to him now—fully, honestly, and without fear. His love is unfailing. His guidance is steady. And every morning, he brings word again that we are held.

Gracious God, thank you for keeping us through the night, and for the hope that each morning brings. You have blessed us with another day to worship and serve you. Guide our feet today in the way you would have them go. Help us navigate those toss-and-turn moments that visit us at night, and steady our hearts with your unfailing love. Amen.

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Tim