The Dark Night of the Soul

Have you ever found yourself in desperate need and felt as though there is no way out? Imagine a scene: the protagonist finds himself backed into a corner—literally caught between a wall and all his enemies. They are closing in, and it looks as though there is no escape. But then, to your surprise, this trapped victim accomplishes some extraordinary feat or reveals hidden supernatural powers to defeat and evade the bad guys! However, we do not live in that movie. We live in the real world.

When you find yourself in the middle of a spiritual or physical struggle—a dark night of the soul—what can you do against the taunts of an enemy, the pitfalls of your own heart, or a terrible medical diagnosis? Even more, can you stand in the face of sin, death, and the devil and emerge triumphant? If we take an honest look, we must admit that we are helpless. 

Imagine another movie scene. The damsel is in distress. Her enemies are in hot pursuit, and she has no way of escape. Just when she reaches the point of overwhelming hopelessness, the true hero swoops in to save the day, rescuing her and delivering her to safety.

This is what Jesus does for His church. He steps down and puts Himself in our place. He bears the wrath of God for our sin, putting death to death on the cross. All who put their trust in Jesus as Savior, realizing they cannot find hope in themselves, must simply turn to Him, their everlasting hope.