The older you get, I’ve discovered, the more you have on your mind to keep you awake at night. You wake up thinking about your family, your children, your grandchildren, your job, your health, your church, your country… you get the idea. Before long you’re an insomniac.
Reading Psalm 112 this morning was a help to me. It speaks of the one who fears the Lord and takes delight in His commandments, His word. It goes on to say, He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting the Lord. His heart is steady, he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries. (verses 7-8)
I appreciate how this Psalm speaks to the heart, to the center of emotions. The one who trusts in the Lord is given a firm, steady heart. They are not panicked by bad news. They are not afraid of it. I take that to mean they don’t live in fear of an unknown future.
It’s often the unknown future that keeps us awake at night. It’s often the fear of the worst-case scenario coming true that burdens us. This Psalm is an encouragement that the Lord can be trusted and trusting Him is a help against such fear.
If you’re like me, then this is a passage worth memorizing. It is a passage to look to when my eyes are wide open at 4AM. May God grant us grace to put our trust in Him so that we can know this firm steady heart that has no fear of bad news.
