Twists in the River

Read:

Pages 158-163 of River Dwellers

The Dark Night of the Soul:

I went through a time when God felt absent from my life. It was a time when I had a lot of outside stresses and fear overwhelmed me. This was strange for me; I had never had an experience like this. God’s presence and peace were not with me. A friend asked me at the time, “What is God saying to you?” My response was, “Nothing. All I see is darkness.”

Once I got to the other side I realized that God had been working all the time. I could not see Him, I could not feel His presence and He definitely was not working on my expected time schedule or the way I wanted Him to, but He was there the whole time. I only needed to cross the dark valley to find Him.

Questions:

1. Have you ever had a season of darkness? If so, what was it that helped you reach the other side?

2. Did you have a greater appreciation for the light when you reached the other side?

Prayer:

Lord, we long for you to speak to us. Help us to quiet ourselves beore you. Help us to be ready to receive your message. Give us the patience to wait upon you without agenda. To wait knowing that just sitting here with you is enough.

Exercise:

Find a quiet spot where you can relax. Spend a few minutes emptying your mind and taking your focus off yourself and placing it on God. Then when you are ready to listen, simply ask, “Lord, what is on your heart today?”