Fearing Dark Days!
"Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God,
for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance."
Psalm 42: 5
Charles Spurgeon was known as the “Prince of Preachers”
in nineteenth century London. Crowds packed his church
weekly to hear him expound on God’s Word.
What many don’t know is that Spurgeon suffered from bouts
of depression his whole life. He cited various reasons: illness,
trauma, loneliness, mental exertion, failure, weather,
controversy, criticism, and more.
We have the mistaken impression that godly people don’t suffer from
times of spiritual or emotional darkness. David, the psalmist, certainly
did. Three times in the psalms he asked himself, “Why are you cast
down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?”
(Psalm 42:5, 11, 43:5)
But he, and other psalmists, knew God was the Light who could dispel
the darkness: “But I hope in Your word” (Psalm 119:81, 114, 147). And
the apostle Paul reminds us that dark times can lead to hope, and hope
“does not disappoint” because God’s love has been “poured out in our
hearts” (Romans 5:3-5).
When darkness descends, don’t fear. Rather,
hope in God, His Word and
His love, to bring
you into the light.
"In the darkness of our miseries,
the grace of God shines more brightly."
John Calvin
