“I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” (Psalm 130:5–6, ESV)

My soul waits for the Lord, more than the watchman waits for the morning! What a great word picture. This really made an impact on me as I read it.

The watchman is up all night. He has to keep his post all alone at night. The rest of the world sleeps while it is dark and quiet, but the watchman spends the long hours waiting for dawn. He fights off sleep and wrestles to keep his wild imagination in check. All the while reminding himself that his shift will be over at dawn. When the light shines, his long battle with fatigue and loneliness will be over. He will find his rest.

As I wait for the Lord, it sometimes seems lonely. The rest of the world is sleeping. They are not waiting for the light, the breaking of dawn. I fight sleepiness, and in the still of the night, I fight to keep my wild imaginings under control, because I know the Light is coming. My shift will be over when the dawn comes. In the meantime, I keep my post. I keep his Word. It sustains me. It gives me the strength to wait.

Dear Lord, please help me. My soul longs for you. I wait. The dawn is coming, but sometimes it seems very dark and lonely. It is a battle to keep my mind in check. Thank you for your Word that gives me hope. Give me the strength I need to keep waiting for the morning.