The Night Season

“When I remember thee on my bed, I meditate on Thee in the night watches; for Thou hast been my help, and in the shadow of Thy wings I sing for joy.”   Psalm 63:7

Several years ago, one of America’s leading pop singers had among his many hit records a song titled, “Strangers in the Night”. A few days ago, for no explainable reason, I found myself humming and then whistling the beautiful melody of that song. Then, as I became conscious of what I was doing, my mind began to wander. This tune, of course, is a romantic ballad dealing with a man and a woman in love; but my mental progression moved beyond those sweet thoughts and into a spiritual application that is anything but joyful.

As a citizen of the Kingdom of God, ask yourself this question, “How do I see this God created phenomenon called “night”? Do I look forward to the pleasure of snuggling into a comfortable bed? Do I welcome this special time in the 24 hours, to wrap up the day, give the Lord a cheery “Good night” and fall into a sound sleep?

The above, in one form or another, is the way it should be, but unfortunately, that is not always our experience. Many of us operate in high gear during the daylight hours; we have our special time with the Lord, we get into the Word and faithfully pray for all the needs on our agenda. Then as night approaches, a dread sets in; then apprehension, which finally progresses into blatant fear.

By the time our head hits the pillow, we have shifted into reverse. Somehow, all the joys and accomplishments of the day take the proverbial back seat, and the fears of tonight and of the tomorrows take over. Those extra bills coming due that we don’t have the money to cover; the possibility of being laid off from my job; those strange noises coming from my car; the pains I had off and on today … so and so had those, and he had a bad time; and on, and on, and on. Then we may drift off into a fitful sleep, only to awaken again deeper into the night with more of the same thoughts. The room is very dark — foreboding; fear and hopelessness hang on.

At that moment, you and your Lord — who promised to supply all of your needs, heal your body, give you joy in His strength, and never leave you or forsake you – You (the potential Bride — and the Groom of the Ages) are nothing more than “strangers in the night.” All day He is your partner, but at night, a stranger.

How sad! Stop and think, Beloved; God purposely and deliberately created the night; that special time when He tucked away the sun for a while so our body and soul could be rested and refreshed. We speak of our “quiet time” with the Lord; there can be no better time for such meditation than restful bedtime. Our nights can be the sweetest part of our entire day, and I believe our Lord is grieved when He is left out of that important part of our lives.

Look at our text again. The great King David, who had his problems day and night, knew how to turn to his Lord, then lie down on his pillow with a clear conscience, forgiven and at peace. “I remember Thee on my bed,” he said. “I meditate on Thee in the night.”… and “In the shadow of Thy wings I sing for joy.” Then Psalm 42:8 says, “The Lord will command His loving kindness in the daytime, and His song will be with me in the night.”

Fear and anxiety in the night are basically aberrations of the mind and can be overcome by deliberately turning your thoughts to Jesus. Instead of counting sheep or troubles, count your blessings, praise Him, and let His song be with you in the night. Then in the shadow of His wings you will sing for joy!

His mercy endures forever … even in the night!

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(This article was originally posted in 2011 by Ted Pavloff. Ted is with the Lord now, but he wanted his anointed teaching to continue to bless people, so this site continues the work he started here.)