“It’s hard to be a Christian,” was a stranger’s comment when he asked me about God in the Dark. We were in the sun on a hot day waiting for the celebration to begin, a graduation ceremony.

The crowd, the heat, the noise disappeared as we explored Sarah Van Diest’s 31 devotions focused on recognizing God in the dark places of pain and suffering. We looked up Scripture on our phones; we found where he could purchase a copy, and we bonded with Van Diest.

God orchestrated a divine appointment, and He used God in the Dark as the tool to start the conversation.

God in the Dark goes deep into those places where some Christians are reluctant to admit that they are walking through–those shadows of doubt, the caves of despair, and the pits of pain. It asks, “Why?”

“Does God see me?”

“Can I see God in what I’m going through?”

Van Diest gently walks her friend who was experiencing some dark days through the 22 stanzas of Psalm 119. She added nine Scriptures and devotions to give you and me 31 days to “Let the Light Back In.”

What a gift she has given to her readers!

Five of my favorite quotes:

1. “When we choose to grasp our Savior’s hand in the midst of the darkness, his light steps in. And the darkness must flee when the light invades.” (p. xviii)
2. “My friend, you are never too far gone for love to rescue, too expired for love to breathe into, too lost for love to find.” (p. 43)
3. “To walk in this life of pains and afflictions with faith, hope, and love is a beautiful, graceful way to step along the way.
   And then the walk becomes a dance.” (p. 59)
4. “We can learn to see God in the dark in many ways; to remember and remind; to be faithful with the seeds of hope he has given us and plant them in the soil of our souls; to bury those treasures in the deepest wells of our hearts, where they will be kept safe from the wailing winds. We can cherish the glimpse.” (p. 102)
5. “It is darkness, after all, that holds the stars.” (p. 120)

I will purchase several copies of this book to give to friends who are experiencing darkness.

My prayer:

Loving Father, thank You for this book. It is a light to those who are walking through dark times. Thank You for Sarah Van Diest, her love of Your Word, her love for her friend, and her generosity in sharing her meditations. Bless her readers and her with every spiritual blessing and Your great and precious promises. Use God in the Dark to minister to those who are suffering and help them see Your light. Amen.

Link to Goodreads title page
Link to Goodreads author page
Link to Amazon

First chapter of God in the Dark

NavPress has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.