The Widest Part of the Desert - Part Three

…continuation from Part One or Part Two.

I’m exploring the concept of the “dark nights”.  Traditionally, this is a time in the life of a Christ-follower when God gets very serious about molding and sculpting in the most delicate places of our hearts.It is a time of severe testing and suffering.  The dark nights is where God shows His infinite patience, His incredible power, and His relentless, passionate love for us.

First off, it might be easier to describe what a dark night is not.  A dark night is not one singular trial or circumstance in our lives which causes us pain and suffering.  For example, you are not necessarily in a dark night just because you lose your job, or your spouse, or suffer great loss of some kind.  I spoke with someone who thought she was in a dark night as she struggling through a divorce.  However, every other aspect of her life was pretty good.  The dark nights typically affect most or all areas of your life.

People who are in a dark night season usually experience loss of one form or another in many areas of life.  You may lose your job, your marriage may be struggling, a child may wander, your health may suffer, and you may find yourself having significant problems in a close friendship all at the same time.  More times than not, your whole world is shaken to the very foundation and even that foundation may become unsteady.

Even though it feels like open heart surgery without any anesthesia, God is working hard to remove the barriers you erect between you and Him.  I clearly see now the only way God can reveal the things you cling to harder than you cling to Him is to remove them.  It is then our choice to choose to cling to something other idol or to reach for Him.

When we allow God to remove the distractions that keep us from really knowing Him, our eyes are opened to infinite new and wondrous possibilities.

“My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.”  Job 42:5

More to come…

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