We depend on many different people whose work is night work: nurses, care workers, doctors, people in emergency services, armed forces, transport, hospitality, manufacturing, security and many more. Some readers of these notes will be reading this before or after doing a night shift.

There was night work for the Levites working in the Temple (1 Chronicles 9:27,33; 23:28–30). Their tasks were various, not least continuing the praise of God day and night, as they had for centuries. This brief psalm was perhaps the Temple worshippers giving encouragement liturgically to the Levites on night duty (vs 1,2), and verse 3 was the Levites responding, assuring the congregation of the Lord’s blessing on them as they headed home. Or perhaps it was a general act of fellowship that included everyone in the Temple. They turned to the Lord in praise, and believed the promise of his blessing, entrusting themselves to their faithful Creator at the end of the day.

How do you end the day? As the needle on a compass reverts to magnetic north when at rest, how good it is if our heart and mind can reset before sleep. A verse, a prayer or a page from a Christian book last thing at night can help us daily to rest in Christ.