Life is awesome. And awful.

In Psalm 88, the writer is in anguish of soul. His life is full of darkness. But he does not numb his pain with endless scrolling, shopping, or video games, nor with drunkenness, drugs, affairs, pornography, or death by suicide. No. He does not check out. He keeps calling and calling and calling to a loving, good, sovereign, powerful God who is present in the abject darkness. Every day he keeps calling.

Psalm 88:9, “My eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call upon you, O LORD;
I spread out my hands to you.”

In the dark seasons of life, are you still calling and calling and calling out to God believing He will hear you, help you, and comfort you? Are you still clinging to Him? Is He your refuge? What is your means of comfort?

Hope firmly placed in God is the only true hope. Hope placed in His promise to comfort in all our afflictions. (I Peter 1:13; II Corinthians 1:3-4)

God demonstrated His ability to comfort me personally in a bout of recent darkness…

In two timely voicemails left by a compassionate individual who was privy to the hard time. In the prayer offered by the church elder who knew my circumstances. In the encouraging card from a distant friend ignorant of all details but who was moved to write out of the blue after several years of silence. In the constant stream of cards sent by the friend who was in the know. In my counselor’s rare availability for a last minute session. In numerous other ways evidencing that God was indeed with me in the darkness, strengthening me, comforting me, carrying me through.

Psalm 9:10, “Those who know your name trust in you because you have not abandoned those who seek you, LORD.”

Psalm 119:147, “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words.”

Hebrews 10:35-36, “Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.”

Is the sound of your faith faithfully penetrating the darkness and reaching the ears of our forever faithful God?