The Dark Cave: Wisdom for Dark Nights of the SoulSample

The Message from the Cave

In the book Connecting the Dots, I lay out the circular pattern of how God works in each season of life. (below) Each season has a Dark Cave or Dark Night that, if we’ll hold onto faith, we eventually emerge from a with a new perspective on God and ourselves. Our experience in that season is something God wants to use to give us a mission and a message.

But the message God is preparing you to share requires depth and strength. You can’t lead people somewhere you haven’t been. As Henri Nouwen put it, “The great illusion of leadership is to think that man can be led out of the desert by someone who has never been there.” In our desert season, our Dark Cave, we face off with what we’d rather avoid. We endure what feels like a season of silence from God. Often there is something we’re required to surrender. When we surrender, we win the battle. We deepen our message.

When you get through the Dark Night of the Soul, you’ll probably feel like half the person you used to be. You may feel like you know less than you knew before the struggle. You won’t feel quite as certain about some things anymore. But that’s okay. You’ll be more comfortable with not knowing, and you’ll also become free from illusions and fear and your determination that things need to be a certain way. When you say, like Jesus, “Not my will, but Your will be done,” (Luke 22:42) you will find freedom and ultimately a new perspective. It may even feel like a rebirth. A new you.

If you're in a season where God seems silent or absent, know this: He didn’t bring you this far to abandon you. He is still with you, even if He seems silent. Trust He's still working and keep moving forward knowing He's working all things together for your good – even if you can’t see it or understand it now. Trust that you, “are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18) Brighter days are ahead. You will emerge from the cave. And on the other side, you’ll have a deeper and stronger faith.

I pray this devotional has encouraged you to press on during the Dark Cave stage of your walk of faith.

This Bible reading plan was adapted from Connecting the Dots: What God is Doing When Life Doesn’t Make Sense by Joël Malm.