As we continue with this Psalm of David it is good to be reminded of the purpose of this Psalm. David wrote it for the express purpose of giving hope to the faithful. It is interesting that thousands of years later the faithful still need to be reminded of the hope that we have in Jesus. In recent years we have experienced the onslaught of Satan, churches were closed for a significant time, and the general population was exposed to fear-mongering by the media. And if we are not careful we can take our eyes off the Lord then our hope disappears. Listen to how David encourages in Verse 7 “I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel, my heart also instructs me in the night seasons “. Interestingly, it all starts with a choice, this is something we are doing all the time, and what we allow our thoughts to concentrate on determines how we live. This part of our life God has no control over, we were created with the ability to freely choose to live however we like. This is something that we must be very clear about, it is our choices, not our circumstances that determine our future, while circumstances can influence us, finally, it is our choice that determines our destination. It is a very hopeful experience when we acknowledge the hand of God in our lives because at times it is so easy to be caught up in the routine of life and forget that God’s hand is on our lives. This is where getting aside regularly to read God’s word and spend time with Him is so important. I am encouraged by the times that His word speaks to me to show me how I should live and I put into practice what He has spoken to me. We also receive instruction through the preaching of His word, this is why we cannot attend church too much. Remember that these are decisions that we make and it is our choice to make them. Next, the Psalmist says: “My heart also instructs me in the night seasons”. The night seasons are the times when I learn to switch off the pressures of the day and relax and think of the goodness of God, unfortunately, some people never learn to take the time to relax and this can cause all sorts of problems. This is where there is no substitute for learning to praise the Lord for the little things of life and calm down and enjoying His presence. Our heart is the control centre of our life Luke 6:45 says: “A good man out of the treasure of his heart brings forth good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks “. This verse reminds us that we cannot fool God, because our language and the contents of our speech express what is inside of us. That is why at the end of the day learn to rest in God and finish the day with thankful thoughts. It is so good that daily we are allowed to express our hope in the Lord because He will never leave or forsake us and is always encouraging us to be closer to Him.