I must confess that I have felt upside down the last few weeks. This is the season of darkness before the return of light. I have always struggled with this time of year when I know the light will decrease day by day until that very short day in December comes and the light begins to slowly return.
I am a sun-loving individual. I enjoy the warm days with the blue skies and leaves rustling in the summer breeze. Those once brilliant greens of summer have long since changed from brilliant reds and golds to a withered brown and have fallen to the ground. All that is left is a few dry leaves that rattle in the chilly air of late Fall. For me it is the beginning of the dark and cold days of winter.
This is the time of year where we reminisce about the months that have gone by and look forward to the approaching holiday season. Usually the sparkle and lights of Christmas lift my spirits, but more recently those things do not seem to have the same effect. Memories of my children’s laughter and exclamations of joy have faded as the new realities of what is going on in their lives have taken center stage.
After expressing this to a friend she asked me, “What would it look like for you to experience the knowledge of and belief in the love that God has for you?” My response to her was, “I think it would feel like this season of darkness would feel less fearsome. The sorrows and regrets that I experience would be lessened because I would know that I am not alone in the midst of them. There would be a calmness in the knowledge and the faith that God loves me always.”
Can I ask you a question? Are you struggling with a season of darkness? My friend shared a verse with me that day that lead me to a place of comfort. She reminded me about what we have in Christ.
In 1 John 4:15-16 it says:
“Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.” ~The Message
The ESV version says, ” Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”
Abiding is a two-way intimate relationship with God. We cannot acknowledge and believe in God’s love without practicing the presence of God. How do you practice the presence of God? One way is being silent with Him. I know that sounds crazy, but studies have shown the positive impact of finding a place and just being quiet. Taking time each day to just sit in silence with God and being still does have a profound impact on your understanding of God’s love for you.
How you can abide with God:
- Find a quiet place where you will not be distracted.
- Be silent. Really just be quiet!
- Wait on God and just breathe.
- Push away the thoughts that creep in and continue in your silence.
- Listen for what He has to say to you.
- Write those thoughts down.
- Close with prayer by
- Taking time to glorify God
- Confessing any sins that might have been brought to mind in the silence
- Expressing gratitude and thankfulness to God
- Bringing your needs before Him.
Your first few times doing this will feel awkward, but eventually you will hear God speak to your heart in the silence. And your soul will be refreshed by your time spent with Him.
Isaiah 30:15 ”For thus the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, “In repentance and rest you will be saved. In quietness and trust is your strength.”
Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.”
Treading Water 