Living in the Spirit
June 23, 2023
Scripture Reading:
Psalm 69:7-10, (11-15), 16-18
Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good;
according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
Do not hide your face from your servant,
for I am in distress—make haste to answer me.
Draw near to me, redeem me,
set me free because of my enemies.—Psalm 69:16-18
Have you ever felt that God had deserted you? My mother died on January 13, 2007. For the first few weeks, I probably was just in shock, but eventually, I got the feeling that my evening prayers were not getting passed the ceiling of my bedroom. My mother was 98 years old and had been bedfast for a few months. The day before she died, her last words to me were, “I want to go home.” I understood she wanted to go home to God. She slipped away that night. Even with those circumstances, losing a loved one causes grief, and the loss, even in rejoicing in her homecoming, still made it hard.
God understands grief and is always present with us, even in our darkest times. There are times we just feel we have lost our way. Saint John of the Cross called that the dark night of the soul. The term “dark night (of the soul)” is used as referring to spiritual dryness, the absence of experiencing the presence of God, but also more generally “to describe an extremely difficult and painful period in one’s life”*
These are times not to turn away from God but to dive deeper into exploring a relationship with God. For me, music does charm my savage beasts. Meditation may help some. Going on walks or running in the presence of God may help. Reading the Psalms and picking your favorite quote to claim for yourself will bring God closer to you. I have claimed Psalm 63, which begins:
O God, you are my God, I seek you,
my soul thirsts for you;
y flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
So I will bless you as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands and call on your name.
God is present, open your heart to God.
Prayer: Lord, during my darkest moments, guide me to find the help I need to find my way back to you. Amen.
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Night_of_the_Soul#Commentaries_by_John_of_the_Cross
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.