The Night Shift
In my last two years of high school, I went to a trade school where I was trained to become a metal machinist. Then, after graduating at 18, I started working at a large factory in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that built fluid pumps.
The plant was called “Byron Jackson,” a division of the BorgWarner corporation. Today, BorgWarner mainly focuses on the automobile industry, but almost fifty years ago, I worked as a machinist building fluid pumps for ships, refineries, etc.
For the first few weeks, I worked on the day shift in the trainee department. Everything was going well, but then I got word that I was being moved to the night shift. I wasn’t excited about this change, but in order to keep my job, I started working nights.
My family and most of my friends had day jobs so working at night was a big change for me. Sometimes I was literally sick from the toll it took on me physically. But I did my best to be a good worker, knowing this was God’s will at that time.
When No One Is Watching
There are many situations where we’re working hard and staying faithful. But we seldom hear, “I appreciate you.”
“You’re doing a good job.”
Why? Because no one is really watching.
Many people are caregivers for a friend or family member. They are standing over a hospital bed, making sacrifices around the clock. No one fully knows the burden and the stress they are under. And that caregiver might be you. The one in the hospital bed is going through a night season – but so are you. You feel overwhelmed and even lonely. The Lord sees where you are. He’s there to give you strength and encouragement when you feel you can’t go on.
After a new baby is born, the parents, especially the mother, start working the night shift right away. Sometimes both parents are walking the floor with the crying baby. The child is a blessing from God, and the parents are proud and thankful. But their whole world has changed. It’s an exciting but overwhelming time. The Lord knows this, and He’s there to help the weary, exhausted parents.
Faithful At Night
A preacher friend of ours preached a wonderful message at a camp meeting about the subject we’re on today. It blessed us so much, and he pointed us back to a verse in Psalms.
“Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord.” —Psalm 134:1
This particular verse was taken from one of the “Songs of Ascents.” These songs were sung by pilgrims as they traveled up to Jerusalem for the feasts. When everything came to an end, and they were about to leave the city, they would look toward the temple and call out: “Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord!”
The “servants” were the priests and Levites who were working the night shift. The servants in the temple didn’t stop because it was dark. Their work was just beginning as everyone else was about to go to sleep. They didn’t continue because it was easy. They kept going because they were serving the One who is worthy!
And as we get closer to the coming of the Lord, in many ways, we’re all working the night shift. I believe no one would disagree that we’re living in gross darkness.
“For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.” —Isaiah 60:2
This first part of the verse is sobering, but the second part is exciting. The first part talks about the evil, dark hour we’re in. The second part tells us that when we love the Lord, His glory will shine out of us!
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” No matter how dark our circumstances may be today, we can keep shining for the glory of God. Although our friends and family may not fully understand what we’ve done, we are not forgotten by the Lord.” —Matthew 5:16
- God sees the janitor who cleans the church after everyone has gone home.
- He sees the person knocking on doors and handing out tracts.
- The one who is the only Christian on their job.
- The young person doing their best to live for God in a public school.
- The Christian college student who’s being harassed by liberal professors.
- The one who’s serving the Lord alone without a Christian family.
- The pastor who’s crawling out of his warm bed at 3am and rushing to the hospital.
“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” —Hebrews 6:10
Real faithfulness to the Lord is mainly lived out when no one has noticed your sacrifice. Even though you may be physically, emotionally, and spiritually worn out, stay faithful. Keep going even when it seems you’re doing a “thankless job.” Jesus said in Matthew 6:4, “That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
Stay committed to the place the Lord has put you, even when your work is unseen. The same Lord who watched over the temple servants is watching you. He keeps perfect records, even in the dark.