Scripture
“By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.” (Psalm 42:8)
Reading
I recently came across the lines of a deeply honest worship song. It was written by a worship leader who longed for God. His season of life felt pitch-black like midnight – a cloudy, starless midnight. There was no sign of the joy that once marked his life.
Rather than shouts of gladness and songs of praise, questions echoed through his mind, “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?” (Psalm 42:5)
He vulnerably confessed the torment of a constant taunt in his thought life. “Where is your God?” (Psalm 42:10)
The weight of oppression and the turmoil within left him feeling forgotten, unseen, overwhelmed.
Have you ever felt that way? Like breakers and waves of sorrow crash into your soul, only to retreat and creep in again with relentless rhythm. You are not the only one. Seasons of wrestling between faith and despair occur in every believer’s life.
However, this songwriter, the author of Psalm 42, offers us a lifeline, not in the form of easy answers but in the form of remembrance.
The psalmist chooses to remember God. “I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again – my Savior and my God!”(Psalm 42:5 NLT)
Even when God seems hidden from your circumstances, scripture reminds us that your spirit is united to Him with Christ. “But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.”
And even in the night He gives songs (Job 35:10).
Zephaniah 3:17 paints a beautiful picture of God’s presence, power, pleasure, and peace – His sacred song over you even in the dark: “For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” (Zephaniah 3:17 NLT)
God is the Source of all life, and He sustains you in the dark. Where the enemy has carved emptiness into your soul, God fills it with His comfort and assurance – His song in the dark.
So today remember God’s Presence. Remember His mercy. Remember His loving kindness. Dare to believe God is rejoicing over you.
In faith, begin to sing back. Maybe it starts with a whisper, maybe a hum. But as your soul catches up, you will again praise the One who has never stopped singing over you.
Your Turn
Psalm 42 shows a choice to remember God which leads to praise. What steps can you take to shift your focus from despair to remembrance?
What “songs in the night” has God given you? What moments of comfort, scripture, or worship have helped you endure a dark season? How can you return that song to Him in praise?
Prayer
God, I remember You and I want to return to You Your song. Thank You for Your comfort, Your faithfulness to me. It is Your great power that overcomes darkness. Thank You for the victory I have in Jesus Christ. Amen.