Dark Night Of The Soul

Ever feel like God is a million miles away? Well, you're not alone. Actually, you begin to discover that it's often a common thing in your spiritual walk. There will come periods in your Christian experience where God is so close that He's almost tangible; other times when He is apparently absent for what seems an eternity; where your prayers seem to go unanswered. It will become very dark indeed...

I have discovered that some notable pieces of literature have been written about such experiences. For instance, 'The Dark Night of the Soul' ('La noche oscura del alma') is a poem written by a Spanish poet and Christian mystic called Saint John of the Cross, way back in the 16th Century. Read a little more about the poem here . And you will find there's a whole bunch of other examples available...

You may ask - why has God apparently abandoned you? Why do you seem to be going through trials and tests, like Old Testament character Job, without any hope of rescue, of respite?

The truth is - God doesn't ever leave you on your own. Let's face it, we know through His word that He is everywhere. Omnipresent. However, God sometimes finds it necessary to hide His presence from you. He wants you to trust Him. To build up your personal faith in Him.

There's more. He wants you to step out in that faith. To step out of that boat (see yesterday's blog entry) and walk towards Him. To praise Him despite the storm. 

Yes, sure, the whole experience might well be painful and disconcerting. But God wants to lead you into a deeper level of maturity. Are you up to the challenge?

Hebrews 13:5b-6 (The Message)

Since God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,” we can boldly quote, "God is there, ready to help; I’m fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?"