May 31

Silence and darkness are not necessarily detrimental to our coming to know the Lord or to know him better. In fact, these may be the very tools the Lord uses to draw us closer to him.

I have experienced this a number of times in my life. No matter how hard I try or how faithful I am to living out God's ways and purposes for my life, the path ahead seems dark; I am unsure of where he wants me to go and when I ask him what is going on, there is only silence. It is in those moments that I cling to the precious words of Isaiah:

"Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God" (Isaiah 50:10).

I offer these words to you today, who may be going through a similar period of darkness in your life right now, or as a reference for any future periods of such testing. God has not forgotten you. He is still there in the darkness. And his silence is not rejection. He is seen all the better in darkness and silence -- like the stars on a clear, quiet, dark desert night.

Trust him. He made those stars.

Scripture for today: Isaiah 50:10; Hebrews 13:5
Thought for today: God's light shines brightest in the darkness.
Prayer for today: Thank you, Lord, for never forsaking me.

MAY 31