By Justin Pratt, Clear Springs Baptist Church Senior Pastor
In 2026, most of us would never begin a long drive to an unfamiliar destination by simply pulling out of the driveway and hoping we figure it out as we go. The days of Rand-McNally grid maps are over, and before the car even moves, we enter the destination into a GPS. We wait for it to load. We listen to the first instruction. Only then do we begin the journey. Psalm 143:8 reflects that same instinct, but for the soul. David is not asking God to redirect him after he is already lost. He is asking for guidance before the day begins. He is essentially saying: “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love and please show me the way I should go.” Like a driver pausing to set the route, David pauses his heart long enough to hear from the One who knows the road ahead. This verse is not a call to rush into productivity or problem-solving. It is an invitation to pause. To stop long enough to hear that inner voice that desires to lead us. David is asking for one thing before the day unfolds: a word from God that specifically reminds him he is loved. Not because the circumstances have changed, but because God has not.
Practically speaking, this means we do not have to start our day with answers. We can begin it with assurance. Before opening a social media app, checking an email, scanning the news, or replaying yesterday’s worries, we can take a quiet moment, perhaps just a sentence-long prayer, and say, “Lord, let me hear Your love this morning.” That may look like reading a single verse slowly. It may mean sitting in silence for sixty seconds or listening to some heart-stirring worship music. It could be as simple as reminding yourself, God’s love for me is not fragile today. Small practices, done consistently, shape how we carry the day.
David also says, “For in thee do I trust.” Trust here is not emotional certainty; it is a daily choice. Some mornings, trust feels strong. Other mornings, it feels like a decision made with trembling hands. Both are still trust. Practically, this might mean naming one thing you cannot control and consciously placing it in God’s care rather than rehearsing it all day.
I love the language that says, “Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk.” In other words, “Lord, show me the way I should go”. This isn’t a demand for a complete roadmap; it is a request for the next faithful step. It is waiting for the next GPS turn. Often, God does not reveal the entire path, but He will make the next step clear. Sometimes that step is a conversation you have been avoiding, a task you need to finish, or simply choosing patience over frustration.
Then in the latter part of that verse, David says, “for I will lift up my soul to thee.” What he is saying is that he entrusts his life to God. He is releasing the burden of having to carry everything himself. We can do the same in very practical ways: by refusing to shoulder guilt that God has already forgiven, by asking for help when we are overwhelmed, or by allowing ourselves to rest without apology.
Psalm 143:8 reminds us that mornings do not have to start with pressure. They can begin with presence and many times with praise. A moment of trust. A word of love. A quiet surrender. You may not know everything that today holds, but you can know who has you. And sometimes, that is all the strength the morning needs.
