“Dark days” is a phrase often used to describe challenging, difficult, or troubling times in a person’s life or broader societal contexts. It can refer to periods of adversity, sorrow, hardship, or uncertainty. In the context of the discussion about Christians, “dark days” refer to times of spiritual, emotional, or physical struggle that test one’s faith and resilience.
In a general sense, “dark days” can encompass various situations such as:
1. Personal struggles: Facing personal crises like loss, illness, financial hardship, or relationship problems.
2. Societal challenges: Going through periods of social or political unrest, economic downturns, or times of conflict and upheaval.
3. Spiritual challenges: Experiencing doubt, spiritual dryness, or questioning one’s faith and beliefs.
4. Emotional struggles: Dealing with feelings of sadness, depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues.
The term “dark days” captures the sense of difficulty, gloom, or despair that can accompany these types of situations.
Trials are Common to All of Us
We all have dark days, and sometimes it can be hard for us to see God’s plan and purpose in our lives. When we are facing trials and difficulties that seem to have no end, we feel dejected, and we tend to isolate ourselves from others. We have been praying for a breakthrough, but nothing seems to change. We are wondering if we have done something wrong to deserve such calamities, or even if our parents’ sins are affecting us. Generally, when we are feeling this way there is a tendency to withdraw from people because we feel bad about ourselves, which is what Satan wants us to do. The Bible says the devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. In nature, a lion hunts its prey by attacking the animal isolated from its group. Since iron sharpens iron, we all need each other. When we withdraw from people, we become even more vulnerable to backsliding from the faith.
Prayer and Knowledge are Vital
How can we deal with such a situation? How can we find comfort and hope in God’s word? How can we respond to those who ask insensitive questions or make negative assertions? Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” We must keep praying and believing the words of Jesus. When I do this gradually my mood begins to change.
Let us remember that God is sovereign and in control of everything that happens. Nothing can happen without His permission or outside His will. Even when we don’t understand why He allows certain things to happen, we can trust that He has a good reason and a good plan for us. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” God can use our trials and difficulties to shape us, to teach us, to draw us closer to Him, and to prepare us for His glory.
My Experience
I have found that when I am going through dark days, I keep praying and asking God for direction and keep trying. I always try to keep busy, even when it seems as though what I am doing is not working. “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord” is a verse from the Bible, Psalm 27:14. Waiting does not mean to do nothing, waiting is like a waiter who is serving the customers. So, I see wait as keep serving the Lord, keep trusting Him, and keep helping people, somehow God has a way of working it out.
God’s Promise is Sure
Another thing that we can do is to rely on God’s promises and His presence. God has promised to never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He has promised to be with us in the fire and in the water (Isaiah 43:2). He has promised to give us peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7). He has promised to comfort us in all our troubles (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). He has promised to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19). He has promised to give us strength when we are weak (Isaiah 40:29). He has promised to work all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). We can cling to these promises and remind ourselves of them when we feel discouraged or hopeless.
Do not Be Weary
We are instructed to not be weary in well doing. We should seek support and encouragement from other Christians who are going through similar situations or who have gone through them before. We are not meant to bear our burdens alone, but to share them with one another (Galatians 6:2). We can find comfort and hope in the testimonies of others who have experienced God’s faithfulness and grace in their lives. We can also pray for one another, counsel one another, and edify one another with the truth of God’s word (James 5:16; Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 4:29).
Sin No Longer Falls on Us
Finally, if we are asked what we did wrong to deserve such afflictions or if there is an implication that our parents must have done something wrong and that is why we are suffering, remember that God is the judge of all, not man. Jeremiah 31:29-30, “In those days they shall say no more, the fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children’s teeth are set on edge. But everyone shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.” We must remember that the sins of the parents no longer fall on the children.
God Knows
We cannot assume that we know the cause or the purpose of someone else’s suffering, nor can we judge them by their outward circumstances. Job’s friends made this mistake when they accused him of being a sinner and a hypocrite because of his afflictions, but they were rebuked by God for speaking wrongly about Him (Job 42:7-9). Jesus also corrected this misconception when he healed a man who was born blind and said that neither he nor his parents sinned, but that this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him (John 9:1-3). We should not withdraw from those who ask those questions or make negative assertions, but rather answer them with gentleness and respect, pointing them to the truth of God’s sovereignty, justice, mercy, and grace.