Evening, April 22
Go To Morning Reading
“Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night.”
Psalm 91:5
What is this terror? It may be the cry of fire, or the noise of thieves,
or fancied appearances, or the shriek of sudden sickness or death.
We live in the world of death and sorrow, we may therefore look for
ills as well in the night-watches as beneath the glare of the broiling
sun. Nor should this alarm us, for be the terror what it may, the
promise is that the believer shall not be afraid. Why should he? Let
us put it more closely, why should we ? God our Father is here, and will be here all through the lonely
hours; he is an almighty Watcher, a sleepless Guardian, a faithful
Friend. Nothing can happen without his direction, for even hell itself
is under his control. Darkness is not dark to him. He has promised
to be a wall of fire around his people—and who can break through such a barrier? Worldlings may well be afraid,
for they have an angry God above them, a guilty conscience within
them, and a yawning hell beneath them; but we who rest in Jesus are
saved from all these through rich mercy. If we give way to foolish
fear we shall dishonour our profession, and lead others to doubt the
reality of godliness. We ought to be afraid of being afraid, lest
we should vex the Holy Spirit by foolish distrust. Down, then, ye
dismal forebodings and groundless apprehensions, God has not forgotten
to be gracious, nor shut up his tender mercies; it may be night in
the soul, but there need be no terror, for the God of love changes
not. Children of light may walk in darkness, but they are not therefore
cast away, nay, they are now enabled to prove their adoption by trusting
in their heavenly Father as hypocrites cannot do.
“Though the night be dark and dreary,
Darkness cannot hide from thee;
Thou art he, who, never weary,
Watchest where thy people be.”