Even in the Cold Dark Night

I want to begin this word by acknowledging something we all know but don't always talk about openly: life has its dark cold nights. I'm not just talking about the absence of sunlight and the cold winter weather we feel right now, but those seasons when everything feels cold, uncertain, and overwhelming.

Maybe you're in one of those seasons right now.

Consider this....lets say that you are facing a situation that keeps you awake until 3 AM, staring at the ceiling, wondering how things will work out, why am I in this mess or just why me?

Maybe it's a relationship that's broken, a diagnosis that's frightening, a financial pressure that's crushing, or simply a spiritual dryness where God feels distant and your prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling. I know them all to well......these dark nights are real.

Dark nights are not a sign of weak faith or spiritual failure. Even the greatest individuals in the bible experienced them, David knew them, Job lived through them. Elijah collapsed under one and if we're honest with each other, we've all been there or we're there right now.

The darkness can take many forms: grief that won't lift, fear that won't release its grip, doubt that whispers lies in the quiet moments, or simply the exhausting weight of waiting for a breakthrough that hasn't come yet.

But I have good news for you today. The darkness you're experiencing right now is not the end of your story. And more importantly, you are not alone in it.

Psalm 139:11-14 says....

11. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," Even the night shall be light about me;

12. Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

13. For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb.

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And thatmy soul knows very well.

Do you hear what David is declaring here? He's not denying the existence of darkness,

he's not pretending that difficult seasons don't come, instead, he's making a profound discovery: there is nowhere David can go, no depth David can sink too, and no darkness so thick that could separate David from the presence of God.

This isn't wishful thinking or positive confession, this is a theological reality, this is a truth that can anchor your soul when everything else is shaking. Let’s look at some truths about our God and Savior.

Truth #1: Darkness Cannot Separate Us from God

Let's unpack this first truth: darkness cannot separate us from God. David explores every possible scenario.

He considers ascending to heaven God is there. He imagines making his bed in Sheol, the place of the dead God is there too. He thinks about flying to the far side of the sea, the most distant place imaginable in his world but even there, God's hand would guide him and hold him. Then he addresses darkness specifically.

What does David mean when he says...."If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall fall on me.'" Notice the phrase: "if I say." David is acknowledging that sometimes we convince ourselves that the darkness has won, that we've gone too far, that our situation is too dire, that God couldn't possibly be present in this mess we're in.

We sometimes say that in moments of despair, but here's the revolutionary truth: what we say about our darkness doesn't change God's presence in it. The darkness you're experiencing right now, or in the future, whatever form it takes, has not pushed God away.

Our struggle(s) hasn't made us unworthy of His presence, our doubts haven't disqualified us from His love and our failures haven't caused Him to abandon us.

In Romans 8:38-39, Paul echoes this same truth when he declares that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So even in the dark and cold nights, the days, weeks and months of trial and challenge, including the valley we're walking through right now, God's presence isn't dependent on our circumstances being bright and cheerful. His nearness isn't conditional on you, or I having it all together. He doesn't show up only when we're strong, faithful and victorious. No, He is Emmanuel, God with us, in every season, every valley, including the dark ones.

Truth #2: God Transforms Darkness into Light

The darkness of our valley experiences, do NOT diminish God's vision, limit His power, or restrict His work. In fact, throughout Scripture, we see God doing some of His most profound work in the darkest moments.

He created light out of darkness in Genesis.

He led Israel through the wilderness with a pillar of fire by night. Jesus was born in the darkness of night to shepherds keeping watch.

The greatest victory in human history, the resurrection, happened in the early morning darkness. What does this mean for you today? It means that the dark season you're in right now is not wasted time. God is not absent or inactive.

He's not waiting for your circumstances to improve before He can work.

Right now, in the darkness, God is present, He is working, He's developing character in you that can only be formed in difficulty. He's teaching you to trust Him when you can't see the path ahead, He's deepening your dependence on Him rather than your own understanding.

The darkness becomes light not because your circumstances suddenly change, but because God's presence illuminates it with purpose, with hope, with His transforming power.

Joseph discovered this in prison. Daniel discovered this in the lion's den. Paul and Silas discovered this in the Philippian jail at midnight and you can discover it too in whatever darkness you're facing today.

Question: Where Is Your Darkness?

Where is your darkness right now? What is your cold, dark night? Take a moment and be honest with yourself and with God.

· Maybe it's fear about the future.

· Maybe it's the pain of a broken relationship.

· Maybe it's the exhaustion of caring for someone who's ill.

· Maybe it's the loneliness of feeling misunderstood or unseen.

· Maybe it's the spiritual dryness where worship feels empty and prayer feels mechanical.

Whatever it is, I want you to hear this: God is already there.

• You don't have to clean up your darkness before you invite Him in.

• You don't have to pretend it's not as bad as it is.

• You don't have to muster up enough faith to somehow earn His presence.

He's already there, in your darkness, waiting for you to recognize Him. The psalmist discovered that even when he felt like saying, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," God was present. Your feelings of abandonment don't reflect the reality of God's faithfulness. Your sense of distance doesn't mean He's actually far away.

The cold you feel doesn't mean His love has grown cold. Right now, in this moment, acknowledge your darkness to Him. Don't minimize it. Don't spiritualize it away. Just bring it honestly before the One who sees in the darkness as clearly as in the light.

God is not surprised by what you're going through, He's not disappointed in your struggle, He's present, and He's ready to be your warmth and light.

Walking by Faith, Not Sight

So how do we practically experience God's presence in our dark nights? Let me offer three simple but powerful practices.

First, saturate yourself in Scripture.

When darkness surrounds you and you can't see the way forward, God's Word becomes your light. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Not a floodlight that illuminates everything ahead, but a lamp that shows you the next step.

Meditate on His character and let truth speak louder than your circumstances.

Second, maintain connection with your church family. Darkness isolates. It whispers that you're alone, that no one understands, that you should withdraw.

But Ecclesiastes 4:12 reminds us that "a threefold cord is not quickly broken." When your faith feels weak, borrow strength from your brothers and sisters. Let them pray for you, encourage you, and remind you of what's true when you can't see it yourself.

Third, worship even if you do not feel like it.

Worship reorients our focus from our circumstances to our God. Paul and Silas sang hymns at midnight in prison, and God sent an earthquake.

Our worship, even though we may be struggling in the cold and darkness is powerful. It's a declaration that God is still good, still faithful, still worthy, regardless of what we're going through. It shifts our perspective from the size of our problem to the greatness of our God.

There aren't any magic formulas that instantly remove the darkness, turn on the lights and warm us up, but there are ways to actively engage with God's presence during the cold and dark days. We can experience the reality of Gods love, grace and mercy, through prayer, reading and studying the word, and let us not forget fasting.

I want to end by leaving you with this encouragement:

1. Your darkness is not permanent, but God's presence is eternal.

2. The cold night you're experiencing has an expiration date.

3. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

4. The darkness will lift.

5. The breakthrough will come.

6. The season will change.

In this moment, in your darkness, God has not left you and He will not leave you. He is actively at work, transforming your night into day, and your cold days into warmth, using even this difficult season for your good and His glory.

Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge Him, remembering Him and He will direct your path.

Pastor Phil

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