(Habakkuk 1:8)
Like Wolves at Dusk,
the dark thoughts descend,
a sadness inconsolable,
memories of failures,
faults and a past marked in darkness.
But like wolves, they are kept at bay
by fire, the burning light of truth,
the knowledge of truest love
that does not consume those it protects,
but grows with each flickering flame,
until all that is left
are the ashes of wolves,
and the dawn.
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Alas, I had no pictures that illustrated this poem well, so it is unadorned. This poem came from my morning reading, which also had this commentary. If the language is a bit old sounding, that is because I am a fan of 19th century religious writers, and this falls into that category. Still, I think it has a truth to it.....
The evening wolf, infuriated by a day of hunger, was fiercer and more ravenous than he would have been in the morning. May not the furious creature represent our doubts and fears after a day of distraction of mind, losses in business, and perhaps ungenerous tauntings from our fellow men? How our thoughts howl in our ears, "Where is now thy God?" How voracious and greedy they are, swallowing up all suggestions of comfort, and remaining as hungry as before. Great Shepherd, slay these evening wolves, and bid Thy sheep lie down in green pastures, undisturbed by insatiable unbelief.
How like are the fiends of hell to evening wolves, for when the flock of Christ are in a cloudy and dark day, and their sun seems going down, they hasten to tear and to devour. They will scarcely attack the Christian in the daylight of faith, but in the gloom of soul conflict they fall upon him. O Thou who hast laid down Thy life for the sheep, preserve them from the fangs of the wolf.
We've all had dark days and darker nights, and it is good to constant have reminders of God's power and love around us. That's why a spiritual discipline like bible reading and prayer is so important - not to rob our already too busy days of yet more time, but to be that light that stays off the wolf at dusk.
Tom
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