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Dark Night of the Soul from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.

Jesus once took five loaves of bread and two fish and fed 5,000 men and their families until they were full. He miraculously multiplied the food, and they picked up twelve baskets full of leftovers when done.

The people who experienced the miracle wanted to take Jesus by force and declare Him the new King of Israel. For most men, a great victory brings in pride, leading them to a great fall. And who wouldn't want to be the next king? Yet, Jesus sent His disciples away to the other side of the lake, then He withdrew to a mountainside to pray alone.

(Mark 6:45–48 NKJV)  Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.

Jesus shut the whole situation down, made His disciples get in the boat and leave the area. He  instructed them to cross the Sea of Galilee.

They call it a sea because it's so big, but it's actually is a large freshwater lake about 15 miles long and six miles wide. The lake itself is about 690 feet below sea level.

Yet, there are mountains nearby like Mount Tabor soaring 2,000 feet high. As well as the Golan Heights and Mount Arbel, which are about 600 feet tall. The elevation differences create ferocious storms that sweep down on the lake.

It was a perfect place to test His disciples, reset their focus, and help them overcome their fears. The disciples didn't get far before a strong wind came directly against them. They weren't sailing anymore but now rowing straight into a fierce wind, straining at the oars. It grew black dark, and huge waves driven by the wind crashed into the boat, wetting them all. This was no longer fun. Yet, Jesus let them row. Apparently, this was good for them. It was the will of God, the dark night of the soul.

When evening came, Jesus saw them struggling against the wind in the middle of the sea. They were rowing hard but making very little progress. He kept an eye on them but returned to His quiet evening of prayer. Finally, in the fourth watch of the night, between 3 and 6 AM, Jesus walks out on the water to His frustrated and exhausted disciples. They had been straining at the oars now for 6 to 8 hours but had only covered 3 to 4 miles.

(Mark 6:48–51 NKJV)  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.

The disciples were cold, wet, tired, and frustrated. Now they screamed in fear as what appeared to be the ghost of the Dread Pirate Roberts walked towards them in the night. Every bad thing they could imagine was now flashing through their minds. Everything inside them screamed. Their hearts were racing, and some were probably ready to abandon ship. Why would the Lord have told them to do this, and where was He now?

At the height of their panic, Jesus spoke out of the darkness and said, "Be of good cheer! It is I; Do not be afraid." Then He walked over and climbed into the boat with them. The wind ceased, and they immediately reached the other side.

It had been such a long night. Hours and hours of struggling in the cold, wet, dark while the Lord was nowhere to be found. Yet, His eye was always on them. While their fears snowballed, He was walking towards them. And at the very end, when they had come to the end of their strength and were literally screaming in terror, Jesus says, "Be of good cheer! It is I; Do not be afraid."

Have you ever felt you were doing what the Lord told you, yet, all of hell seems to be breaking loose around you? Do you feel like jumping out of the boat? Are you scared?

To those, Jesus says, "Be of good cheer! It is I; Do not be afraid."

The Lord has taken me through similar times when I felt that He had abandoned me. My cries and prayers didn't seem to be heard, for nothing changed. He left me to my fears, to imagine the worst possible things that could happen to us. He seemed distant and said nothing. I struggled and strained and grew frustrated when I got nowhere. Every turn I took was a dead end. He let me suffer until that stuff slowly died inside me. Then suddenly, He appeared, and everything changed for the better.

Don't give up during the dark night of the soul, when He exposes just how weak and vulnerable you are when He is not in your boat. He won't let you drown, but you will become a different person and leave some of that baggage behind.   

You can pray this with me if you like:

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for keeping Your eye on me. Please help me be in tune with what You are doing on the Earth, and make me sensitive to Your Spirit. I am Yours, Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!