How to See God’s Blessings in the Darkness
Welcome to my Friends and Fellowship Serenity Summer Soiree. Each week during the months of June, July, and August plan to enjoy meeting some of my favorite writing friends and fellowship around the goodness of the Lord. This week, we are encouraged by my good friend, Hadassah Treu, international Christian author, blogger, poet, and speaker, as she helps us see God’s blessings in the darkness.
Welcome Hadassah!
Do you wonder how to see God’s blessings in the darkness? How can train ourselves to look for God’s blessings and celebrate them in the dark valleys of life?
The Darkness of Pain and Adversity
Each of us soon or later passes through a dark valley. It can be just a quick passage, but it can also be a lengthy period of life.
A dark valley is a period or situation in our life in which we experience pain (physical and/or emotional), and intense adversity (external and internal). We feel pain and anguish because usually, we are going through a painful experience. Such experience can be the loss of something we value, or struggle with rejection, disappointment, doubt, anger, loneliness, and failure.
In the darkness of pain and adversity, it’s hard to see our path and the right direction, and we often don’t feel God’s love and goodness. We doubt God, His plan, and His actions. Perhaps we even find it difficult to trust Him and follow Him without reserves.
The dark valleys of life are often valleys of death: the death of things, relationships, and people we deeply treasure.
God Wants to Bless Us in the Darkness
To look for, find, and celebrate God’s blessings in the dark valleys of life, we need to have the right perspective and stay grounded in truth.
There are 3 fundamental truths we need to wrap our minds and hearts around if we want to train ourselves to “see” and celebrate God’s blessing when it hurts.
#1 God Is a Generous and Gracious Giver
He wants to bless us and give us what is good and beneficial for us.
It is interesting to note the Jewish perspective of love. In Hebrew, the word for love is ahava, which comes from the root word, hav, “to give.” In Judaism, to love is to give. Since God is love, giving is part of His nature.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
#2 Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love
Our painful feelings often tell us we are not loved, abandoned, alone, or forgotten. We need to remember we can’t rely on these messages that distort reality.
Absolutely nothing, and no dark valley in the entire world, can separate us from God’s love.
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
#3 God Is Near to the Brokenhearted
Our pain draws God’s presence and kindles His empathy and tenderness. We find a very special promise in the Bible for all who are brokenhearted and crushed in spirit.
Having God’s special attention and the comfort of His loving presence is a promise and a blessing.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18
Finding and Celebrating God’s Blessings in the Darkness
The truth in God’s Word and the fellowship with His Spirit open our spiritual eyes to acknowledge and celebrate God’s blessings in the darkness.
When His light shines, we can see in the darkness.
Suddenly, we start to find treasures buried in the mud. We turn around and we see everywhere signs of God’s tangible love, constant care, provision, and protection.
We are able to receive with open hands and hearts His invaluable gifts like God’s peace, His joy, and His comfort.
We experience what it means to be connected to the Source of strength and life.
We ultimately learn that we are never alone, never abandoned, and constantly and eternally loved.
In the dark valleys, we experience God’s faithfulness.
And we grow, change, and transform to become more like Him. Because this is the greatest blessing God can bestow upon us.
And all dark valleys are worth going through if we can grow in His image.
Tweet: In the dark valleys of life, we learn we are never alone, never abandoned, and constantly and eternally loved. @onthewaybg #encouragement #blessings #spiritualgrowth
We Can Celebrate God’s Blessings When It Hurts
The Lord invites us to see and celebrate His blessings, especially when it hurts and our hearts are wounded.
We can do this because He is our Shepherd, guiding and safely navigating us through the darkest valleys.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:1-4
We also have His awesome promise to turn every valley of weeping in our lives into a place of blessings, new life, and growth.
“As they pass through the Valley of Baka (Weeping), they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools (blessings).”
Your Turn
What blessings can you see in your dark valley right now? Share in the comments and on social media if you found this article helpful. Thank you!
Hadassah Treu is an international Christian author, blogger, poet, and speaker, the Encouraging Blogger Award Winner of 2020. She is passionate about encouraging people on the journey of faith and a deeper walk with God.
Hadassah is a contributing author to several faith-based platforms and award-winning devotional and poetry anthologies. She has been featured on (In)courage, Proverbs 31 Ministries, Her View From Home, Living by Design Ministries, Thoughts About God, Today’s Christian Living, and other popular sites. Connect with Hadassah on her blog https://onthewaybg.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.
