September 10, Evening

C. H. Spurgeon · Modern retelling

"Evening wolves." — Habakkuk 1:8 · KJV

While preparing this volume, this particular expression came back to me so often that, to be rid of its constant knocking, I resolved to give a page to it. The evening wolf, maddened by a day of hunger, was fiercer and more ravenous than he would have been in the morning. May not the furious creature stand for our doubts and fears after a day of distraction of mind, losses in business, and perhaps ungenerous taunts from our fellow men? How our thoughts howl in our ears, "Where is now thy God?" How greedy and voracious they are, swallowing every suggestion of comfort and remaining as hungry as before! Great Shepherd, slay these evening wolves, and bid Your sheep lie down in green pastures, undisturbed by insatiable unbelief. How like the fiends of hell are these evening wolves! For when the flock of Christ are in a cloudy and dark day, and their sun seems to be setting, the fiends hasten to tear and devour. They will scarcely attack the Christian in the daylight of faith, but in the gloom of soul-conflict they fall on him. O You who laid down Your life for the sheep, preserve them from the fangs of the wolf. False teachers, too, who craftily and tirelessly hunt for the precious life, devouring men with their falsehoods, are as dangerous and detestable as evening wolves: darkness is their element, deceit their character, destruction their end. We are most in danger from them when they wear the sheep's skin. Blessed is he who is kept from them, for thousands are made the prey of grievous wolves that have entered the fold of the church. What a wonder of grace it is when fierce persecutors are converted, for then the wolf dwells with the lamb, and men of cruel, ungovernable dispositions become gentle and teachable. O Lord, convert many such; for such we will pray tonight.