July 11


Night into Day


My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God? My tears have been my food day and night ... Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.

Psalm 42:2-3, 5 (NRSV)


Blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:4 (NKJV)


Last night I was reading excerpts from Dark Night of the Soul by John of the Cross, a 16th Century Carmelite monk. His famous prison writing describes the work of God on one’s soul—not through blessings and joy, but through hardship and sorrow. The dark night, it seems, is a most valuable part of our spiritual journey and designed to take us to the next level as Christ-followers. The dark night, our harsh reality or aloneness, our loss or pain, is meant to cleanse us and draw us into greater dependence on Him and thus break our reliance on our comforts, our strengths, our addictions ... and ourselves.

The dark nights remind us, as we always need to be reminded, “Without Him we can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

So the dark night of the soul becomes our bridge or tunnel to take us over or through these black mountains of self. And that’s good news, for every bridge and every tunnel has an end. And at their end is light. And as I trust in Him, I begin to see the light. The light at the end of my tunnel: “they shall be comforted.”


Lord, You give me hope. Turn my night into Your glorious day! Amen.