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THE KING’S TABLE IN THE NIGHT' Steve Porter
'At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, because of Your righteous judgments.”
—Psalm 119:62 (NKJV)
Night has a way of making everything feel closer.
The house grows quiet. The lamps go dark. The day’s voices fade, and the things we managed to keep at a distance begin to speak again. A worry that seemed small in the afternoon can feel enormous at midnight. A temptation we thought we had conquered may return. Fear can slip into the room and whisper that we are alone.
But the night belongs to the Lord!
David remembered God upon his bed and meditated on Him in the night watches. The night can become a holy place of fellowship—a quiet room where the King welcomes us near. The table is set. His presence is not diminished by darkness. His invitation does not close when the sun goes down.
I think of John Hyde, the missionary to India known as “Praying Hyde.” He gave himself to prayer for the people and churches of India, sometimes spending long hours in intercession through the night.
He once said: “The night watches have become my sweetest fellowship.” Praying Hyde spent countless dark nights face down on the cold, bare floor in prayer, interceding for the lost in India, and his prayers on behalf of others bore remarkable fruit. The spirit of intercession was so heavy upon him that those around him would feel that same fervent burden rising deep within them.
The night watches became holy ground. While the world slept, Hyde kept company with the Lord, carrying precious souls before Him with tears and groanings too deep for words. His body was hidden in a quiet room, but his prayers reached toward a harvest he could not yet see. And somewhere in those long hours, the darkness itself seemed to give way before the light of Christ.
What a beautiful thing: to discover that the hours some dread could become hours invested with Jesus.
The night season is the King’s college. There, in the quiet, He teaches the heart to listen. He reminds us that His nearness is not dependent on the noise or activity of the day. He spreads a table of fellowship, and we come with nothing to prove. We can bring our weary thoughts, our unanswered questions, our trembling faith. We can open His Word slowly and let it become bread for our hungry souls.
“While the king is at his table, my spikenard sends forth its fragrance.”
—Song of Solomon 1:12 (NKJV)
The King is at His table. The door is open. There is room for you.
But we must also be honest: darkness can become a playground for the enemy. Scripture warns that our adversary walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. At night, when we are tired or alone, the enemy may press fear, shame, doubt, or temptation against us. He may try to pull our thoughts toward places we should not go and choices that will wound us.
We must stay awake in our spirits. When the enemy comes to accuse, entice, or torment, we do not have to make a place for him. We can stand in the strength of the Lord and put on the whole armor of God. We can turn our hearts toward Jesus and ask Him to keep us.
There is a choice before us in the night: Where will we turn when the room grows still? Will we give our attention to the voice that brings confusion and despair, or will we bring our hearts to the King?
Picture the Lord sitting quietly with you in the deep hours. No crowd surrounds Him. No demands hurry you along. Just Jesus, near enough to hear the prayer you can barely form.
You sit with Him. The ache you carried all day rises to the surface. Your hands begin to lift, not because you have found the right words, but because you know He is there. Tears run down your face. You do not hide them. You do not have to explain them. The King sees every one.
And in that stillness, you are not merely trying to get through the night. You are keeping the Lord company.
The world may be sleeping. The enemy may be prowling. But the door to the King’s heart is still open, and His table is still prepared. Jesus is worthy of our attention in the night watches. He is near to the brokenhearted, faithful to the weary, and gentle with those who come to Him with tears.
So when night comes, be strong in the Lord. Guard your heart. Resist the enemy. And when you can, draw near to Jesus. Let the King turn the lonely hours into fellowship, and the dark room into a place where His presence becomes more real than your fear.
The night is the King’s.
Will you meet Him at His table?
With love,
Steve Porter
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Mel Tari Johann Schonken
Theresa Phillips
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