David called to the Lord in anxiety and distress. The Lord heard and stilled his soul. David searched his heart in the silence of a dark night. The light of the morning star calmed and quieted. He meditated on his bed instead of sinning. The thought entered his mind, “Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD.”
Many asked the cynical and rhetorical question, “Who can show us any good?” David in the face of widespread uncertainty, prays for the LORD to bless. When he said, “Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD,” he was asking the LORD to bless them with not only his presence but also his undivided attention and favor. David not only prayed for his own relief but for others too.
Many responses to unsettling times persist; fear, doubt, anger, violence, hopelessness, self-pity, and sin. The one that is greater joy than food and wine is the peace and tranquility of the presence of the LORD. How can I obtain a satisfied heart? Seek the LORD. Be quiet and rest. Meditate on God and his goodness. Know that he is Lord. Do not sin. Offer right sacrifices. Sing songs of praise. Then, “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”
