Pastor Bill Hybels continues Chapter 6 of The Power of a Whisper by discussing 3 truths about God that he has learned through his dark nights of the soul:
Truth #1- God is near. When Bill’s son Todd was a young boy, he had the habit of leaving his blanket (a nocturnal necessity) on the opposite end of their ranch-style house from the bedrooms. On one such evening, Todd awakened his dozing father so that dad would get his blanket. Ultimately, although Todd ventured half-way down the dark hallway, he couldn’t go it alone. When Bill asked Todd if he was scared, Todd answered: “No, Dad. I just want you to walk with me.” God walks with us so we don’t have to face our darkness alone.
Truth #2- God actively seeks us out. Pastor Hybels states: “God is near. But his presence is not passive. He seeks us out so that he can encourage us to keep going, to move ahead, to live.”
Truth #3- God speaks words of comfort, insight and peace. Bill testifies that whenever he’s been at his lowest, God has whispered timely words that brought dawn to a very dark night. The author cites the words of Mother Teresa as a model of how we should respond while waiting for God’s whispers: “Even though I don’t feel his presence, I will seek to love him as he has never been loved.”
Psalm 34:18- “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
