The sun suddenly dove behind lofty mountain peaks, and as its light faded from the heavens, the glory of the night began to appear. First came one lone star in the east, then another, until, myriad upon myriad in splendor the heavens were splashed with light as with an iridescent paint upon a black cloth. Thus night fell, or rather arose, in all its glory, for after the twilight comes the night, the time of clearness when the heavens are revealed.

The night is so often considered a time of loneliness and fear, for such it can be, but it can also be a time of peace. It is at night that we have time to pause and think. And thinking we can hear the rustle of God as He passes in the wind, we can see His presence in the glow of the moonlight. At night there is naught of this world to distract us, we are with God.

For, you see, we are living in the twilight of time. Slowly, inescapably, the glaring sunlight of time is fading into twilight; soon there will be the night. And what will the night mean for you? Will it mean a time of fear and terror? Or will the night be a time of joy? Can you hear God in the night?

Yes, young people, the end of the ages is upon us. In our lifetimes we can expect increasing apostasy. The lines of difference between Church and world are going to become increasingly blurred. Bill through all this blurring and confusion, which is really no more than modern day persecution, God is calling His Church. While the whole world runs frantically about in a whirlwind of “Living” to hide from Him, God is speaking to us in a still, small voice. He is telling us to fear not, for in the apparent terrors of the night, the whisper of His presence will be there for His own, bringing them peace.

God is speaking, are you listening? Are you listening, or has the clatter of your daily life drowned out His voice? Are you so very independent that you can go a whole day or more without this prayer in your heart: “Father, I am so very weak, make me strong in Thee”? Have you placed yourself in God’s hands today?

It is so hard for those of us who are young to learn the complete trust in God that characterizes those who wear the crown of years. We cannot help but make plans for a long and glorious future. It is almost impossible for us to ask merely for daily bread, for we always find ourselves looking toward tomorrow’s sustenance. And yet daily bread is all we may ask for. We must live only day by day. placing each second in the hands of the Lord, counting all tomorrows only as steps in the stairway toward heaven.

But how are we to gain such trust in God?

Trust in God requires in the first place that we stop. Completely. Before you move to take your next breath think: I could not do even this without God. To trust in God, we must take note of our dependence upon Him in all things.

Trust in God requires, in the second place, that we heed the Master’s advice to the rich young ruler: “Go, sell all that thou hast and give to the poor; and come, follow me.” What a hard thing this is for us to learn! We become so enmeshed in our daily lives that we forget to serve God and rather serve ourselves. For us, “selling all that thou hast” means counting all things (goods and self) as nothing save God. It means that we become heaven centered instead of earth centered. It means that we long, not for the joys of tomorrow, but for the joys of eternity. For if we truly place our trust in God, we will accept nothing less than being with Him forever.

So finally, trust in God means service. Realizing our utter dependence on Him, putting away all things of this world in our longing for Glory, we will manifest our trust in God by striving to fulfill the earthly task that He has given us. Be our task little or great in the eyes of others, we, who trust in God will do it to His glory and His alone.

This is trust, the trust in God which will carry the Church through the night that lies ahead. But this trust only comes from God alone. It is a matter of prayer and earnest spiritual endeavor.

Yes, the night is rising in all its glory and we find the beauty of the night in our absolute trust in God as our sole support. Thus, when the night is fully risen, we will see God in the glow of the moon, and hear Him in the whisper of the wind. God is speaking, are you listening?