Evening, April 22, edited from Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

“You will not be afraid of the terror by night.” — Psalm 91:5

What is this terror? It may be the cry of “fire!” or the noise of thieves, or imaginary appearances, or the shriek of sudden sickness or death. We live in a world of death and sorrow; we may therefore look for troubles as often at night as beneath the glare of the sweltering sun. Nor should this alarm us, for whatever the terror may be, the promise is that the believer shall not be afraid. Why should he? Let us put it more personal, 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? Unbelievers 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 dishonor 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, you dismal premonitions and groundless anxieties, God has not forgotten to be gracious, nor shut up his tender mercies; it may be night in the soul, but there is no need of terror, for the God of love does not change. Children of light may have to walk in darkness, but they are not abandoned there; no, 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.”