Wolves of the Evening

We don’t have a lot of wolves in Indiana, but we do have coyotes. A coyote doesn’t get as large as a wolf but they are big enough. Every so often you see one standing along the road or running across the highway and normally they are after deer.

The other morning on my way to work I saw one of those critters. It was during the twilight of the day (I don’t know why but I love that name twilight just sounds inviting to me). I was speeding down the road just minding my own business and watching the traffic. I was also watching for deer because after hitting two over the years you get a bit leery of them. As I was going past a patch of standing trees I caught a glimmer in my eyes and as I passed by there stood a large coyote by the highway. I’m certain that he was following a deer trail but this fellow just looked like he was taking it all in and watching the cars as they whizzed by. He just stood there looking stately like he had all the business in the world of being there.

They are a magnificent looking creature and if you love animals they remind you of a big dog and it makes you just want to stop and get out of the car and pet the thing. But I don’t think I’d advise doing that – Especially if you value your hand and want to keep it.

In a passing phrase Habakkuk 1:8 mentions the evening wolves. The verse is actually talking about horses, and states that they are fiercer than the evening wolves. That phrase, in just two words is very descriptive of the creature. They love to roam the early night in packs hunting for food. They are very dangerous creatures and can kill in an instant. The wolves of the evening roam about looking for whatever unfortunate creature, whether man or beast, happens into their territory. Their sharp teeth rip and tear.

Daily we battle those evening wolves. They come at us like a pack of terror sometimes. Their form takes on many shapes. They have the advantage, or so it seems, because they have slept all day while their victims have worked and labored. Now, at evening when their victims are worn down from the day, and they are at their peak, they attack at our weakest point. They can take the form of bad news about a loved one, or after a hard day’s work coming home to find out that the water heater has burst, or some other vital appliance has gone on the blink and instead of getting to relax in our recliner we have to pull out the tool box and work some more. It could be problems with children, sickness whether it is ourselves or someone close to us. They can attack as financial difficulties which leave us nearly hopeless as we work every hour we can get to earn the money to pay those indebtednesses, and it never seems to be enough. And then we listen to the news and find out that our Government has once again raised a tax or that food or fuel prices have gone up yet another day. They are disguised and sometimes it is difficult to see them. But they are ever present and relentless.

Our evening wolves are none other than the devil and his cohorts. They seek to destroy us in any way they can. They know our hot buttons and they are more than eager to push them because they know that they will eventually wear us down. There are days when it seems we have no way to be rid of them and sometimes we’re tempted to just lie down and let them have at us.

But there is a defense against these evening wolves. He is our only defense really. We speak of none other than Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that He said that He would always be with us. He is the brilliant White Stallion that is fiercer than the evening wolves. When we realize who our enemy is and Who our defender is then we can call out to Him and He will take care of those evening wolves.

It isn’t always that easy because even though Christ will ever be there for us, we have to call out to Him. It would be nice if He just automatically took care of those evening wolves. But then that would make us soft and ungrateful. He wants us to do battle with them by resisting their temptations to fly off the handle, or say things we shouldn’t say whether that be in the form of bad language or in retaliating to someone with words we wish we could take back. We can, through and by Jesus Christ, resist those evening wolves, but we’ve got to beware and know when they are attacking.

Jerry D. Ousley is the Author of three books, “Soul Challenge”, “Soul Journey” and “Ordeal.” Listen to our daily broadcast Spirit Bread. Find out more by visiting www.spiritbread.com
or email us at jousley@spiritbread.com