30/07/2025
"SUN OF MY SOUL"
"Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night" (Ps. 91.5)
INTRO.: One well-known evening hymn which presents Christ as the one who keeps us from being afraid of the terror by night is "Sun of My Soul". The text was written by John Keble, who was born at Fairford in Gloucestershire, England, on Apr. 25, 1792, and as a child was tutored at home by his father, a minister at Coln St. Aldwin’s. At the age of fourteen, he entered Corpus Christi College at Oxford, graduating at the age of eighteen with double first-class honors. After receiving his M. A. in 1813 and being elected a Fellow of Oriel College when not yet nineteen years old, he remained at Oriel as a tutor for five years. In 1815 he became a minister in the Church of England and served several country churches, such as East Leach and Burthorpe, in addition to his teaching responsibilities.
The hymn pleads for the constant sense of Christ’s unwavering presence night and day in our lives.
I. Stanza 1 asks the Lord to remain with us through each night
"Sun of my soul, Thou Savior dear, It is not night if Thou art near;
O may no earth-born cloud arise To hide Thee from Thy servant’s eyes!"
A. Jesus Christ is the Sun of righteousness: Mal. 4.2
B. Because He is God, it is not night when He is near because with Him the night shines as the day: Ps. 139.12
C. Therefore, we need never allow any earth-born cloud to arise and cause us to fear: Ps. 27.1
II. Stanza 2 asks the Lord to be with us while we rest in sleep
"When the soft dews of kindly sleep My wearied eyelids gently steep,
Be my last thought, how sweet to rest Forever on my Savior’s breast."
A. God’s people have the promise that they can lie down in peace and sleep: Ps. 4.6-8
B. Even at night, our thoughts and meditations should be on the Lord and His word: Ps. 1.1-2
C. One such thought that will sustain us as we sleep is the hope of forever resting on our Savior’s breast, just as the beloved apostle did in this life: Jn. 13.23
III. Stanza 3 asks the Lord to abide with us from morning until evening
"Abide with me from morn till eve, For without Thee I cannot live;
Abide with me when night is nigh, For without Thee I dare not die."
A. We should want the Lord to abide with us day and night just as He did for a while with the disciples whom He met on the road to Emmaus: Lk. 24.29
B. Our attitude should be such that without Him we cannot live because our desire should be to have Him living in us: Gal. 2.20
C. Also we should have the attitude that without Him we dare not die because our hope should be to depart and be with Him: Phil. 1.21-23
IV. Stanza 4 asks the Lord to watch over and help His wandering children
"If some poor wandering child of Thine Has spurned today the voice divine,
Now, Lord, the gracious work begin; Let him no more lie down in sin."
A. It is possible for a child of God to wander back into sin: Gal. 6.1, Jas. 5.19
B. The way in which one who has become a child of God does this is by spurning the voice of God which speaks through His word: Heb. 3.12-13, 4.1-2
C. While we cannot expect God to save the unfaithful in their sins, we can hope that in some way the Lord might begin a work in seeking His erring children that will soften their hearts so that they will be more responsive, just as the shepherd goes out to find the lost sheep: Lk. 15.1-7
V. Stanza 5 asks the Lord to bless especially those who suffer each night
"Watch by the sick; enrich the poor With blessing from Thy boundless store;
Be every mourner’s sleep tonight, Like infant’s slumbers, pure and light."
A. God certainly does care for the sick and watches over them in their sufferings: Jas. 5.13-16
B. It is God’s desire to enrich the poor, at least to provide for their needs as they put their trust in Him: Matt. 6.33
C. Furthermore, God is the source of all comfort to those who are mourning or in sorrow: 2 Cor. 1.3-4
VI. Stanza 6 asks the Lord to continue with us as we wake
"Come near and bless when we wake, Ere through the world our way we take;,
Till in the ocean of Thy love, We lose ourselves in heaven above."
A. When we arise each morning, we can look forward to the day in the presence of God: Ps. 139.17-18
B. Through the day we can, as through the world our way we take, look forward to the guidance of God: Lk. 1.77-79
C. And at all times we can look forward to that day when we might ultimately awaken to Christ’s eternal salvation in heaven above: 1 Pet. 1.3-5
Enjoy this beautiful rendition from Kings Choral Voices.
For Sonsorship and enquiries, Call or text us on
Tari Tams: +234 806 754 9529