Watching for the Morning

All week long Psalm 130: 6 has been playing over and over in my mind: “My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchman wait for the morning.” 

In the first 5 verses, the Psalmist has openly expressed his cry for mercy.  He feels like he is in the dark of a long night.  Have you ever been there?  I have.  Sometimes it has actually been a long dark night when I cannot sleep because my mind is troubled.  At other times the sun is shining but in my spirit I still feel like it is midnight.  Can you relate to the cry of the Psalmist?  May be you feel like you are in the midst of a long night right now. 

We have three families in our church grieving the loss of a loved one this week.  Gator Hullinger lost his sister, Cindy Schmidt, her Mother and Ruth Carey, her Father.  Certainly times of loss can usher in the night. 

What brings the night to you?  Broken relationships?  A difficult work environment?  Hurt from the past?  Stress in the present? 

It is easy to begin to think, “This is never going to end. This will never get any better.  I don’t know if I can make it through this.” 

But just when the night seems darkest the Psalmist is captured by hope.  “My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning…”  The watchman, of course, was the person stationed at the city wall to keep watch over the city at night.  Every night, no matter how dark or long, the watchmen knew that the sun would rise.  Just as it had come the day before and the day before and ever since God spoke and there was light, the watchmen knew that the morning would come.  And like the watchman, the Psalmist is suddenly reminded that the morning will dawn for him as well.  It is not a question of “if” the dark night will cease, but “when?” 

Friends, the same is true for you and me.  The morning is coming.  Take hold of this hope with me.  The stress may seem unbearable right now in the dark night.  The pressure may seem too much.  Doubt may be screaming in your ear.  Weariness may be setting in and discouragement may be heavy on your heart.  But the morning always comes for the one who waits for the Lord.  God will bring an end to the night and you will see a sunrise again. 

So, in the meantime, may God help you and me both to watch for the morning like a watchman.  Expect it!  Anticipate it!  Thank God for it in advance!