Sunday

How to Banish the Dark Night of the Soul



Freedigitalphotos.net
Saint John of the Cross first coined the phrase “dark night of the soul” in his poem, “The Dark Night.” Others, ranging from Mother Teresa, to F. Scott Fitzgerald, to the heavy metal band Fear Factory have all used the term to describe various degrees of spiritual struggle. Even soap opera stars Bridget Forrester and Brooke Logan discussed “spirituality and the purpose of human existence” in an episode of The Bold and the Beautiful  by quoting lines from the poem.*

Most of us fall somewhere between Mother Teresa and the soap opera stars, but what we have in common is the experience of spiritual struggle. Dark nights of the soul sometimes strike us unaware. They descend in all their inky blackness like the rapid onset of an eclipse. Other times they creep into our lives subtly, as lengthening shadows across a lawn, slowly stealing the light from our days.

Dark nights of the soul wear different faces, too. Death is a common one, with Disappointment and Depression competing for second place. Financial loss hangs in Dark Night’s wardrobe next to Illness and Infidelity. Fear and Hopelessness dangle like accessories to complete the outfit.

We reach a crisis of faith, and we doubt we can hold on another moment.

What are we to do?

King David experienced the dark night of the soul. “Save me, O God,” he writes, “for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help” (Psalm 69:1-3).

The apostle Paul did too. “We were under great pressure,” he writes, “far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9).


These men point us to the light that has the power to banish the dark night of the soul:

“Unless your law had been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction,” testifies David in Psalm 119:92.
 
Here are 6 ways God’s Word banishes the dark night of the soul:
  
1.  It reminds us of God’s character. “You, O Lord, are good,”(2 Chronicles 7:30).

2.  It reminds us of God’s love. “. . .  and your love endures forever” (2 Chronicles 7:3).

3.  It reminds us that our trials are temporary. “Weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning”(Psalm 30:5).

4.  It reminds us that our trials have purpose. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

5.  It reminds us that we are not alone. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever” (John 14:16).

6.  It reminds us of our future. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).


If you are experiencing a dark night of the soul, I encourage you to fill yourself with God’s Word. The Psalms are a beautiful place to begin. The more light you bring into your heart and life, the less room there is for darkness. Even a tiny candle bids the darkness flee.

And if your life is sunny, without even a shifting shadow, I encourage you to also fill yourself with God’s Word. The time to build spiritual muscle is not in the midst of trial. The healthier your spirit is, the stronger you will be to weather the dark nights that come to every believer.

What are some ways God’s Word has ministered to you during dark nights? Join the conversation by leaving a comment below:

For more encouragement, please visit this link: Reasons to Keep Climbing





If you enjoyed this devotion, may I tell you about my new book, Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women?

 Today's women want to connect with God, but in the craziness of life, it’s just not happening. You want practical, biblical answers to situations you face every day, but you don’t have hours to pore over Scripture.

You need a resource that answers the questions you’re afraid to ask out loud. Questions like:

• Is my situation hopeless?
• If God already knows what he’s going to do, why bother to pray? 
• Why have you allowed this to happen to me? 
• No one appreciates what I do. Why shouldn’t I quit? 

Each devotion begins with a Facetime question and ends with a biblical answer wrapped in a modern day parable. Like a spiritual power bar, Hungry for God … Starving for Time is packed with enough scriptural nutrition to get you through the day. Wherever you are—in break rooms, carpool lines, or wherever you can snatch five minutes of quiet reflection—Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is for you. 

 
If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul. 
Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life. 

Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.



Delivered by FeedBurner











Hungry for God is on Facebook! Will you take a moment and LIKE my page? CLICK HERE to help HFG share 5-minute devotions.
 

 

 

9 comments:

  1. WE ARE NOT ALONE! Sometimes I feel like I need to shout that at myself. Even when it seems that all others fall away, God is there with us and for us. Great reminders, Lori. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lori this is AWESOME! And the you are so right that we need to be the squirrel and store up for the times when we have winter in our lives! The story of Joseph so comes to mind when I think of storing and preparing.

    Thanks for joining in the fun with me this week!

    ReplyDelete
  3. God's Word has been my lamp in those very dark times, Lori. Your post is full of wisdom and practical principles--bringing light to a very dark and inescapable reality in life. Thanks so much for sharing! I'm praying that it ministers to those caught in this darkness.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love this...what an awesome reminder and a great way to share the God's Light dismisses all darkness.

    ReplyDelete
  5. The Psalms have been such a comfort to me in those dark times of my life. Things don't stay dark when I read the Psalms even though often the circumstances don't change.

    Thanks for linking up this week over at WholeHearted Home.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am exclaiming Wow! with these other commenters! Excellent insights...This is such excellent truth and I'm so glad you linked up it up to encourage others at Deep Roots :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you for this! I have just discovered your blog and I feel like God lead me here! ����

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I believe He did, too. Welcome to the family. May you be blessed here.

      Delete
  8. Great post mate, thank you for the valuable and useful information. Keep up the good work! FYI, please check these depression, stress and anxiety related articles:

    Depression Cure

    Make Yourself Emotionally Numb

    Ways To Get Rid Of Anger

    Ways To Stop Yourself From Crying

    Ways To Reduce Stress | How To Reduce Stress

    Ways To Forget Unwanted Memories | How to Forget a Bad Memory


    you can also contact me at depressioncure.net@gmail.com for link exchange, article exchange or for advertisement.

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete

Did this devotion speak to you? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment below and join the conversation.