The Dark Night of the SoulSample

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark

“At times God puts us through the discipline of darkness to teach us to heed Him. Song birds are taught to sing in the dark, and we are put into the shadow of God’s hand until we learn to hear Him…Watch where God puts you into darkness, and when you are there keep your mouth shut. Are you in the dark just now in your circumstances, or in your life with God? Then remain quiet…When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else when you get into the light.” Oswald Chambers

A good friend and journey brother took his own life this last week. It was a tragedy to see how Tom was confronted with the darkness of life and lost hope. He had many demons from his past, which he tried to kill with alcohol, to no avail. He knew Jesus, and he was passionate about leading others to know Him, but he started listening to the accuser’s voice instead of the loving Shepherd when the darkness came. As I thought about Tom’s struggle with darkness, I remembered Oswald Chambers’ reference to The Dark Night of the Soul.

I believe we all have moments when we feel the darkness of life. We feel alone, disappointed, dejected, depressed, disgusted, and dry. As Christians, I believe we can mistake these seasons for God’s rejection or abandonment of us. It can drive us further into despair, and this is where the enemy can take us toward destruction. The darkness can come upon us by the circumstances of life, or it can just come without any explanation or understanding. Perhaps you are in such a season right now. If so, I want you to know there is nothing to fear. One of my favorite pastors told me 366 Scriptures say, “Do Not Fear”- one for every day of the year. Remember, “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but power, love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7 ESV.

I did some research into “The Dark Night of the Soul.” The main reference is tied to a poem by 16th-century Spanish poet and Roman Catholic mystic, Saint John of the Cross. The author himself did not title the poem, of which he wrote two book-length commentaries: "The Ascent of Mount Carmel" and "The Dark Night." Saint John of the Cross describes the “dark night" (of the soul) as:

A spiritual crisis in a journey towards union with God.

The “journey towards union with God” sounds familiar, huh? This week, let’s explore this as we look at our forefathers in Scripture and their dark nights. I pray you will be encouraged and strengthened to embrace your dark night.

“Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light; then came darkness.” Job 30:26 ESV