What To Do When Your Soul’s Night Arrives

You never know when the night of the soul will arrive. I never thought I would go through the valley of the shadow of death. Yes, I read those holy words from David in the Psalms, but I didn’t imagine in a million years I would experience them. 

Last week, I woke up singing Psalm 103:1-4 NIV. 

        Praise the Lord, O my soul.

        All my inmost being, praise His holy name.

        Forget not all his benefits,

        Who forgives all your sins,

        And heals all your diseases,

        Who redeems your life from the pit?

        And crowns you with love and compassion?

        Praise the Lord, O my soul.

I didn’t know a tsunami was about to rock my soul. My mind didn’t realize that something was wrong because I don’t just sing out loud.

My spirit, however, knew what was happening. God was preparing me for what was unseen by putting His words of comfort to my mind. 

That night, a waterfall of tears would not stop flowing down my cheeks to soak my pillow. I cried silently and quietly out of our room because I didn’t want my husband to worry about me. I knew he would have questions. 

I needed answers too. 

I didn’t know what was happening to me. 

All I knew was my soul felt sorrow for something I didn’t understand. 

I also knew that God was with me. He never left me to find my way out of the dark pit. The fellowship of the Holy Spirit reminded me of songs of comfort I had learned from childhood. 

What do you do when your soul’s night arrives? 

Stay in the Word. 

The goal is not to get out of the pit. Ann Voskamp beautifully says, “The goal isn’t a place; the goal is a person.” This person is our Father in Heaven, God the Maker of Heaven and Earth  Himself. 

As we are drowned and burdened with unexplainable soul darkness, we should aim to get closer to God. He will remind us of the Holy scriptural truths we’ve hopefully read while we were in the light. 

The goal is to walk with the one who is closer than any brother, sister, husband, father, or mother. 

Going through my valley of death, I came to know of His unfailing love for me, and a day after I got out of my pit, I read these words:

I love God because he listened to me,

listened as I begged for mercy.

He listened so intently

as I laid out my case before him.

Death stared me in the face;

Hell was hard on my heels.

Up against it, I didn’t know which way to turn.

Then I called out to God for help:

“Please, God!” I cried out.

“Save my life!”

God is gracious—it is he who makes things right,

our most compassionate God.

God takes the side of the helpless.

When I was at the end of my rope, he saved me.

I said to myself, “Relax and rest.

God has showered you with blessings.

Soul, you’ve been rescued from death.

Eye, you’ve been rescued from tears.

And you, Foot, were kept from stumbling.”

I’m striding in the presence of God,

alive in the land of the living!

– Psalm 116:1-9 MSG

Our Maker will rescue you, too, from the tears. He is your goal not just at night but during the day too.