A Song in the Night
“Each day the Lord pours His unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing His songs, praying to God who gives me life.” —Psalm 42:8 (NLT)
Horatio Spafford, a 19th-century Chicago lawyer, endured immense personal tragedy. After losing his young son to illness and suffering major financial loss in the Great Chicago Fire, he faced his most painful blow—the death of his four daughters in a shipwreck. While traveling to meet his grieving wife, he penned the hymn “It Is Well with My Soul,” testifying to God’s peace amid the storm.[1] His grief didn’t silence him; it gave birth to a song that has comforted millions.
Grief often steals our words. It leaves us in a place of quiet, aching numbness. Yet in Psalm 42, David reveals a powerful truth: Even in his darkest nights, he sang. Not because the pain was gone, but because God was still with him. His song was a form of defiance—a declaration that grief would not have the final say.
Nighttime often intensifies sorrow. The distractions of the day fade, and our thoughts are louder. But David didn’t let the night silence his faith. He chose to remember God’s love poured out by day and responded with prayer and praise in the night. This rhythm of remembering and responding is crucial in seasons of sorrow.
Like David—and like Spafford—we may not always feel like singing. But our song doesn’t have to be perfect. God receives our broken praise. In fact, it’s often in the night that He draws closest. Grief doesn’t erase worship—it reshapes it. A song in the night is a sign that hope still breathes within.
Practical Application:
Take some time tonight, even in your grief, to listen to God-honoring worship songs. Focus on the lyrics of the music and, if possible, sing along. Feel God's presence all around you, pouring out His unfailing love and carrying you through the night.
Reflection Question:
What might your “song in the night” sound like right now—and how could expressing it begin your healing?
Prayer:
God of the day and the night, I invite You into the silence of my sorrow. When I feel empty, remind me of Your love poured out. Teach me to worship and trust You, not because I understand, but because You are faithful. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Read More: Lamentations 3:22–24; Psalm 30:5; Acts 16:25; Isaiah 61:3; 2 Corinthians 4:8–10
[1] Horatio G. Spafford, “It Is Well with My Soul.” Written in 1873; Mark A. Noll, A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1992), 384.
