Psalm 16. David's Day and Night: Prayer and Praise

Every day, the Lord gives me good thoughts, and at night, he teaches me. Because of this, I will praise the Lord. The Lord is always with me, and he is by my side, so I will not be shaken (Psalm 16:7-8).

When we combine verses 7 and 8, we see that God is with David during both day and night. The CEV translation of the latter half of verse 7 is particularly striking: "Even in the darkest night, your teaching fills my mind." In Psalm 16, David acknowledges that God's presence is with him both day and night, and he considers it to be the inheritance of the land. David's foundation for being unshaken is rock-solid.

David's psalm is always a double-edged sword. One side is prayer, and the other side is praise. In the night, the prayer warrior joins with David in prayer, hoping for the same things that David hoped for. During the day, David's psalm is heard as a song of praise to the God who is at his right hand.