Walking Through the Dark with God

“Hear my prayer, O Lord,
Give ear to my supplications!
Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness!
And do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For in Your sight no man living is righteous.
For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life to the ground;
He has made me dwell in dark places,
like those who have long been dead.
Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;
My heart is appalled within me.”  Psalm 143:1-4

“Answer me quickly, O Lord, my spirit fails;
Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will become like those who go down to the pit.
Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning;
For I trust in You;
Teach me the way in which I should walk;
For to You I lift up my soul.
Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies;
I take refuge in You.
Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
For the sake of Your name, O Lord, revive me.
In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
And in Your lovingkindness, cut off my enemies
And destroy all those who afflict my soul,
For I am Your servant.”  Psalm 143:7-12

Have you ever noticed how we use things to describe our experiences? A car that continually needs repair is called “a lemon.” “The breadwinner” brings home “the bacon.” We get “red” when angry, “green” when jealous; and when someone is a coward, they’re “yellow.”

All of these circumstances (though humorous) are in need of some kind of resolution. Maybe that’s why we sometimes try to make light of them. We know from experience that laughing at a problem does not make it go away. It may help us cope but supplies no answers.
   
For the believer, there is a key in those dark moments when life looks bleak, when feelings are not just hurt but wounded, when disappointment just about sinks you into despair. That key is - remember. Remember what God has revealed about Himself in the Word. He has promised to “never desert you, nor...forsake you” (Heb. 13:5); and although you may feel alone, His presence is nonetheless real.

Can you view God as Someone Who cares about you even more than you care about yourself? He does. He knows your future better than you know your past. In the darkness of your trial, look to Him. He is walking by your side.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is comfort in life’s darkest hour.