Bugges by Night

Bible Reading: Psalm 56:3-4, 9-11

A piercing scream filled the midnight air and woke everyone in the house. Mom

jumped out of bed and ran down the hall. She switched on the light in Peyton’s room and found her shaking and sobbing. “Did you have a bad dream, honey?” asked Mom.

“There was a huge, icky, giant bug!” Peyton held her arms far apart to show its size. “And…and he was trying to eat me!”

Mom gave Peyton a hug. “But it wasn’t real,” Mom assured her. “It was just a dream.” Mom held Peyton and quietly talked to her. It took a while, but the little girl finally calmed down and went to sleep.

The next morning, Peyton talked about her nightmare at the breakfast table. “It was an awful dream,” she said, “about a big, nasty bug.” Peyton shivered as she thought about its pincers and creepy eyes.

“You don’t need to be afraid of bugs,” said Tyler, her older brother.

“Right,” agreed her sister, Piper. “Especially when they’re in dreams. Bugs that big don’t even exist.”

“I’m afraid of ‘em anyway,” said Peyton.

“All of us are afraid of things that don’t always make sense,” said Mom, “and nighttime seems to be a time when those fears often come out.”

Piper nodded. “Sometimes I’m just afraid of the dark,” she said. “What about you, Tyler? What scares you?”

Tyler shrugged. “Let’s see…well, I do have scary dreams sometimes,” he admitted, “but they have scarier things in them than bugs.”

“That makes me think of something,” said Dad. “Long ago the word bug was often used to refer to something very terrifying. When Myles Coverdale translated the Bible into English in 1535, he translated Psalm 91:5 like this: ‘thou shalt not nede to be afrayed for any bugges by night.’” Dad wrote out the words to show them the old-fashioned spelling.

Tyler laughed. “Wow! You should memorize that, Peyton,” he suggested.

“It’s a good verse for all of us to remember,” said Dad. “It reminds us that we don’t need to be afraid of anything, day or night, because God loves us and is always with us. Because we know Jesus as our Savior, we are His children, and He is always watching over us. We can sleep soundly, knowing we’re safe with Him.” • Agnes Maddy

How About You?

What frightens you? When you’re afraid, do you trust Jesus? Do you believe His promise to be with you and care for you? Remember that God’s children will never be separated from His love and care, no matter what happens. The next time you’re afraid, talk to Jesus and trust Him to watch over you. He never leaves your side.

Today’s Key Verse:
Psalm 56:3 Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

God’s love drives out fear