How many of us wouldn't love to be able to sing the ending of this Psalm? How many of us haven't felt guilty because we lie awake for hours at night stewing over this and that? How we wish we had the faith displayed at the end of this Psalm!

We would all like to live a worry-free life. Christians who worry often feel guilty for not living up to Jesus’ encouragement not to worry but to trust in Him (Matthew 6). However, Jesus also invited his disciples to come and learn from him (Matthew 11:29). Moving from worry to trust is often a long twisty road. This psalm shines some light on that pathway.

It's a rugged psalm, moving quickly from place to place. Prayers in the Bible do not always follow a straight line from “Our Father in heaven” to “Amen”. Many are erratic, full of the conflicting emotions we humans find stewing inside us. The opening lines form a complaint against God. The psalmist has been in distress and has prayed about his troubles, but God has been silent. He is troubled by God's silence.

Then the psalmist raises a complaint against people who are pursuing dishonest lives. One gets the sense that the psalmist's own life is being made miserable by these people. She has sought to live with integrity but has received little support for such a life.

Verse 3 is really the crux of the Psalm. It is a piece of important theology, answering the question, "What is God like?"

And the answer is this: God takes care of the godly. But rather than giving us a textbook answer as to how God does this, Israel’s prayer book explores this through the eyes of the godly, how they have experienced this. It makes for a rich tapestry. The godly are those who desire God and want to honour Him with their lives. The psalmist is sure that God will listen to their prayers.

Of the eight stanzas in this psalm, only 4 are addressed to God. Stanzas 2-5 are addressed to the psalmist’s enemies. Many biblical scholars suspect that these adversaries are Absalom and his followers who chased David into the wilderness. He calls them away from their sinful pursuits, to humble themselves before God.

Even if we identify more with the godly than the rebellious, the invitation to search hearts, to determine motives, should be heeded by us all. We need to test them against God's holy ways and root out any foothold the devil may find. Part of that examination is silence. The fewer words we speak the better. How often haven't we got ourselves into trouble by spouting off or just saying too much, even to God? Practice listening to him.

Finally, the psalmist tells the godly to bring their case before the Lord. God is the great judge and will see that His righteousness and justice prevail. "Trusting in the Lord" means that we wait; wait for him. In this world, vengeance and anger rarely wait. But those who trust in the Lord develop patience.

It is not until all this and more has been laid out that the psalmist writes about being able to sleep. It is not an easy place to get to. Good theology takes us a long way. It helps us trust and wait.

The psalmist does not promise the godly an easy life; but we are offered a pattern for godly living during adversity. Next time you find yourself laying awake in worry, ask yourself, “What is God like?” Then remember this Psalm and others that answer that question.