Let’s just be honest. I am a night owl. It’s not a mild thing. I suffered insomnia from age five to thirty-five. Morning coffee cured me, leaving me sleepy at night for the first time. But old habits die hard. I remain an absolute night person—and yes, I struggle not to feel shame about it! 😉
They say nothing good happens after midnight. The hour between 12 and 1 a.m. is known as “the witching hour,” because of the belief that witches and demons are most active in the middle of the night. Late one night Hamlet, finally resolved to take revenge on his murderous uncle, describes the middle of the night as the time when ghosts come out of their tombs and the evils of hell walk the earth:
“Tis now the very witching time of night, When churchyards yawn, and hell itself breaks out contagion to this world” (Act 3, scene 2).
It sounds great on stage or in a horror movie. But I think we exaggerate the evils of darkness. That’s not to say I have not felt a creepy sense of foreboding at night. I have. But I attribute those feelings to (1) being in dangerous locations after dark, or (2) being awake so late, the foreboding was simply a warning I would ruin the following day if I did not quickly go to bed.
I do not believe night time is intrinsically evil. For most of us, it may be a foolish time to be out on the roads, and perhaps a bad time even to be awake. Both activities pose risks.
But what if you have to work nights? What if you are a security guard? Or a police officer or fire fighter? What about my mother who spent thousands of nights in the O.R. working as a surgical nurse? The pay was better, and she enjoyed some of the ways in which working nights differed from working days.
My grandfather did shift work at the Esso Refinery in Baton Rouge. There were three 8-hour shifts a day, and three crews who rotated. Every third week, my grandfather’s crew worked the night shift. He had no choice.[1]
The Levites at the temple in Jerusalem also had to work nights. Psalm 134 encourages them in their important role:
“Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who is the Maker of heaven and earth” Psalm 134:1-3.
I love that. These temple watchmen have to stay up all night standing guard. And there is nothing wrong with that—in fact, their job is crucial. They have to work. At night. There is no other way to get the job done.[2]
And the psalmist encourages them to praise God while they are working:
“Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord” Psalm 134:1.
Do you ever have to work at night? Most of us have worked at night—some rarely, some often. Maybe you had to stay up all night writing a research paper or finishing a project at the office. Others of us have spent long nights on the road or sitting in an airport. It can be a strange experience to look at a clock and realize you are awake at what is so often described as “an ungodly hour.”
Yet, the hour itself is not ungodly. Your God who is omnipresent is also always-present. He is with you during the so-called witching hours. Talk to Him. Praise Him. Give Him a few minutes of worship and He will redeem those hours of overnight work that can otherwise feel so strange.
A final thought. My wife and I just agreed to teach a Life Bible Study class (a Sunday school class) on Sunday nights. There is a worship service at 4 p.m., then class begins at 5:30. It is strange for us, having attended Sunday morning worship our entire lives. But you know what? I am going to hang on to Psalm 134:1. Maybe we will make this our key verse!
“Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord” Psalm 134:1.
AΩ.
[1] During my grandfather’s career, the crews at the Esso refinery worked 8-hour shifts that rotated counter-clockwise. One week you might work 7 to 3. The next week you would work 11 to 7. And the third week you would work 7 to 11. The problem is, rather than staying up longer, you had to figure out a way to go to sleep earlier—which seems impossibly unnatural. He worked at Esso over forty years. Sounds like a lifetime of jet lag!
[2] Jesus was often “worked nights.” Not only did He stay up late, but He also got up while it was still dark so He could be alone in prayer. He stayed up all night praying before calling His disciples, Luke 6:12. Following a long day of miracles, He rose while it was still dark to pray, Mark 1:35. He also prayed all night before His arrest, Matthew 26:36-46.
Household Words: 