Night Fear

*Night Fear*

"Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the day time, and in the
night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life."
Psalm 42:8

Research shows that newborn babies have no fear of the dark. After all,
they've just spent nine months in the darkness of the womb. We put
nightlights in the nursery so we can see them, not so they'll be unafraid.
But a strange thing happens as we start growing. Many children develop
night fears, imagining creatures outside their windows, or monsters under
their beds, or the bogey man hiding in their closet. As we age, those
nighttime fears become more sophisticated. Some people struggle every
night with letting go of their worries so they can sleep.

Listen to what the Psalmists wrote about nighttime fears: "The day is
thine, the night also is thine" (74:16); "Behold, he that keepeth Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep" (121:4); "I will both lay me down in
peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety" (4:8);
"For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness"
(18:28); "I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night
watches" (63:6); "He giveth his beloved sleep" (127:2).

Charles Spurgeon once said, "They slumber sweetly whom faith rocks to
sleep. No pillow is so soft as a promise." Do you have night fears or
worries? Are you losing sleep at night because you can't stop thinking
about the worries of the day? Rather than counting sheep, try counting the
blessings of God. "Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be
still" (Ps. 4:4). Meditate on His goodness and grace in your life.
Consider His ways and wondrous works. And rejoice, for we have a Heavenly
Father who never slumbers or sleeps, but is always beside us
and continually watching over us.

*If the Lord's going to stay awake all night, I'm going to sleep! There's
no use in us both staying up! (Anonymous)*