Answer me when I call to you,

    my righteous God.

Give me relief from my distress;

    have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

How long will you people turn my glory into shame?

    How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?

Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself;

    the Lord hears when I call to him.

Tremble and do not sin;

    when you are on your beds,

    search your hearts and be silent.

Offer the sacrifices of the righteous

    and trust in the Lord.

Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”

    Let the light of your face shine on us.

Fill my heart with joy

    when their grain and new wine abound.

In peace I will lie down and sleep,

    for you alone, Lord,

    make me dwell in safety.

You know the feeling. The anticipation of an answer can fill you with anxiety or impatience. Maybe you just can’t sleep because you’re so excited for what tomorrow holds. 

I picture David speaking these words, scratching it into material to remember it for another similar time. When you lie on your beds…David and later Daniel would use this phrase figuratively to describe that sleepy season of either tossing and turning or peacefully resting until the morning brought new hope and answers (see them in Psalm 63:6 and Daniel 2:28). 

Have you ever been in a waiting period? Perhaps you’re like me, even as I type this wondering when answers will come. It’s tempting to be anxious or angry at God and others. Here, though, even as David wrestles with this himself, he speaks to anyone who will listen, calling them to right response. Don’t sin while you wait. Do the right thing even before you see the outcome. Trust God for what is good. David spends equal time crying out to God and reminding those around him to do the same. 

So as you and I find ourselves waiting for God and longing for answers, let us be a people that respond in faith: without anxiety, instead trusting that God has truly heard and will not withhold His good from us. With Him, waiting periods turn from restless nights to peaceful rest as we wait for His plans to unfold.