Psalm 17: Verses 2-3 (NLT Translation)
Job Chapter 35: Verse 10 (NLT Translation)
- Declare me innocent,
for you see those who do right.
You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night.
You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong.
I am determined not to sin in what I say.
- “Yet they don’t ask, ‘Where is God my creator,
The one who gives songs in the night?’”
When we are troubled, upset or anxious, things often seem worse at night if we can’t sleep and we play things over and over in our minds – what we should have said or done, what we plan to say or do. Its particularly hard if it relates to a situation where we feel we have been treated unfairly. But does it do us any good to ruminate over it? Having been in that situation myself, my experience is that it only leads to a miserable night with an equally miserable day thereafter.
In this Psalm, David acknowledges that God knows all our thoughts. He also turns the matter of justice over to God and asks Him to deal with the situation. Good advice to remember when it concerns something we can’t do anything about ourselves. But David also makes a determined vow not to sin in anything that he says – very wise counsel! The things we often plan out in our heads are sometimes best left unsaid for we may regret them later. And that’s a good thing to remember at any time of day. Doesn’t the old proverb say, “Least said, soonest mended.” Sometimes its good to get things off our chest, but not so anger and bitterness.
So how should we keep ourselves from spending a rotten night when we feel that way? Job says we don’t do the very thing that will help – call out to the God who gives songs in the night. And He will do if we ask. Its taken me a long time to learn, but now when I experience the odd sleepless night, something I put down to getting older, I have begun to try putting Job’s advice into practice. It certainly makes better use of the wakeful hours and definitely raises my spirits.
Dear Lord,
Turning my restless thoughts to you is definitely a much more pleasant way to pass a sleepless night. Help me to do that whenever I need to. And help me, like David, to guard my tongue so that I don’t sin in what I say.
I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen