“In our darkest moments”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Monday, July 22, 2024

Psalm 42: 1-6a (Forward, p. 84) CEV p. 580

We should never imagine that we are ‘the only ones’ when we encounter those times of desperation and helplessness, those dark moments of our lives, for such times are relatively common to the lives of believers. Indeed, this is the mark of many of those that the Church names as ‘saints’. It is what has been called ‘the dark night of the soul’, and it is something that I myself have encountered—not that I’m in any way in the same league as them! You might call it a kind of spiritual ‘burnout’, a spiritual numbness or emptiness.

It is something that our psalmist knew all too well. He feels that God has deserted him and so, more than anything else, he yearns for the closeness and intimacy that he once enjoyed with God. The fact that he once enjoyed God’s presence so vividly makes its absence even more painful. And so, his very soul is disquieted and full of heaviness. Even so, even with such feelings, our psalmist has made a decision: he will remember the ‘good times’ and trust God anyway, for God is still ‘the help of my countenance and my God’. And too to with us: in our darkest moments, may we remember that God is still there, even when we cannot feel Him or perceive His presence, and trust Him anyway. Amen.

Forward notes: “My soul is athirst for God” (verse 2).

“One of my favorite places in the world is the amusement park Dollywood. I am charmed that it has a chapel, a chaplain, and Sunday services (and I have often dreamed of serving as its chaplain). Years ago, I took a break from rides and visited the chapel to pray. There was a book where people could write prayer requests, and when I read over them, I gasped. They were incredibly raw, written in children’s handwriting, asking God to save the lives of sick grandparents and the relationships of hurting parents. It was devastating that in such a fun place, children carried such burdens. But I am glad there was a space for them to safely ask for an assurance of God’s love and care, and I was grateful I could pray for them. In my own experience, I remember what it was like to thirst for God’s care but to feel too sick from cancer treatment to focus on prayer. I was incredibly grateful for the prayers of others, lifting me up!”

Moving Forward: “Who can you pray for today?”