A Psalm of Lament
Trust in God does not exempt us from attack, ridicule or threats against us. David laments the pressure he feels from those who oppose him and those who would do him physical harm. We may not face the exact same threat to our physical body but we do feel the pressure of the world upon us each day, Life gets crazy and confusing leading to pressure upon us. Yet, trusting in God is a sure way to reduce the stress and to feel less of the world's impact upon us.
We may lament our circumstances but God never forgets us. He does not sleep. Confidence in God's presence in our time of need is a sustaining power in our life. Such confidence grows out of out ability to power out on God our daily cares. He has broad shoulders to take what we dump on Him. He wants to hear our laments. He is the course for lightening our load of cares and worldly pressures. David finds solace in his life situation because he pours out his concerns, frustrations and desires onto God's feet.
In this psalm, David reflects on the fact that he can sleep soundly knowing that God is there to protect and enable him to rise in the morning. It is surprising how many days we awaken and take for granted that we have a new day to enjoy. Working a hard day makes it easy to fall asleep. And when we awaken we first notice the aches and pains. Sadly we awaken and forget that the very dawn of this new day is a gift. God has seen us through another night.
The psalm is rightly positioned at the beginning of the Psalms so that we are reminded of our first need. Daily we need to give God praise for the new day. Circumstances and people will change, but God remains our ever present companion. God never sleeps.