Experiencing God's Presence #255

Experiencing God's Presence #255

If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the LORD and rely on your God.

Isaiah 50:10

In the New Testament, Paul tells us we see in a mirror dimly, but there are times when it seems that we hardly see at all. John of the Cross once referred to a “dark night of the soul,” and many believers can relate. We long for a personal touch from God, but it isn’t there. We listen for His voice but hear nothing. We pray without confidence and can detect no concrete answers. We feel alone.

Why God allows such seasons isn’t clear, but they have a way of establishing truth in us if we let them. Nothing tests our beliefs more severely than the complete absence of evidence or lack of spiritual support. Will we rely on what we know is true or jettison it somewhere in the darkness? Choosing faith in spite of feelings will strengthen faith in surprising ways.

It will also make a statement to every observer—human, angelic, and divine—about what God means to you. God enjoys our faith in any season in life, but the trust we display in the dark is far more precious than gold. Nothing overcomes the enemy’s tactics or thwarts his desires more clearly than that. When everything seems stacked against us and we trust God, praise Him, and lean on Him anyway, we have won invisible victories that are visibly celebrated in heaven. Our faith in the dark is treasured by God.

Whenever you find yourself in darkness, let your trust in God pierce it. Choose to rely on Him. Those seasons don’t last forever, but you have an opportunity in them to create an eternal testimony to His goodness. You become a trophy of grace on display in heavenly places. And when the season passes, your faith will bear unusually sweet fruit.

Father, I feel lost, but I know I’m not. I know You’re with me—guiding, providing, and protecting. I trust You, even when I can’t see. Please lead me into places of peace and abundance.