“How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?”

Psalm 13:1

The phrase, “dark night of the soul,” has been around for hundreds of years. It represents a deep season of struggle when we may even feel abandoned by God. The cave of personal darkness can bring a season of hopelessness.

Let’s be real, the greatest of believers have suffered from it at times. It was the place that made King David soak his pillow with tears. It was the place that made the prophet Jeremiah sour in his struggle, and it was the place that made Job ponder his pain. Let's also be honest, this is no ordinary cave of darkness, but many times it’s linked to a crisis of faith. The cave of emotional darkness is real.

We can spend weeks or months in this dark place, not only mentally, emotionally, but spiritually. It’s a battle with discouragement and darkness that can come from the enemy of our soul! I have come to realize that among our greatest weapons available in the dark night of the soul is choosing to remember that God has the final say over the darkness.

Remember this – between the darkness and the light, there is a space that can be filled with fear or faith, worry or worship.

Dark seasons reveal what we actually believe, not just what we say we believe! The phrase, “the dark night of the soul,” captures a moment when the floor drops out from underneath us and when we realize we don’t have control. Believe it or not, this can actually be a good thing. Many times it's only when we hit rock bottom that we turn to the Rock at the bottom.

The hard but liberating truth is this – the place of a wound often becomes the greatest place of worship! It’s easy to talk about the goodness of God when life is easy. It’s easy to say we trust Jesus when the bills are paid, the relationships are great, and the body is healthy. But when the wheels fall off, and the storm comes, that’s when worship becomes real. That’s when we discover whether our faith is just a slick slogan or an awesome anchor.

As you come into this high season for your faith, how is your faith? Strong or shaky? Courageous or compromised? Let’s take this season to the next level! And if you are experiencing a dark night in your soul then I encourage you to let the light of the world shine brightly in your soul today!

Pressing On Together,

Pastor Dave