Finding God In Empty Seasons Of Life
Finding God in Empty Seasons of Life
The psalmist's lament, "My soul is dry for need of God, the living God; when may I come and see the face of God?" (Psalms 42:2 [1]), captures the essence of feeling spiritually drained and yearning for a deeper connection with God. This sentiment is echoed in other psalms, where the writer expresses a deep longing for God, stating, "My soul thirsts for you. My flesh longs for you, in a dry and weary land, where there is no water" (Psalms 63:1 [2]).
The biblical concept of seeking God during life's barren seasons is rooted in the understanding that spiritual growth and intimacy with God are not always accompanied by emotional or sensory experiences. In fact, the Psalms often portray a sense of desperation and longing for God's presence, as seen in Psalms 69:3, where the psalmist says, "I am weary with my crying. My throat is dry. My eyes fail, looking for my God" [3].
The idea that one can seek God even in the absence of tangible experiences or feelings is supported by various Christian traditions. According to Calvin, the season for revealing God's grace is determined by God's purpose, much like the changing of the seasons [5]. This perspective encourages believers to trust in God's sovereignty, even when they feel spiritually dry or disconnected.
Augustine's writings also touch on this theme, as he notes that the contemplative life can reach the vision of the Divine essence, but not in this mortal life, where the bodily senses have their play [4]. This suggests that the pursuit of God is not limited to emotional or sensory experiences but is a deeper, more profound longing.
The Reformed tradition, as represented by Charles Hodge, emphasizes the importance of holding forth the Word of life and preaching the truth in season and out of season, regardless of the response [9]. This underscores the notion that seeking God is not solely dependent on personal feelings or experiences but is rooted in the objective truth of God's revelation.
In the view of some Christian traditions, the soul's longing for God is not just a emotional or psychological state, but a fundamental aspect of human existence. According to Hodge, the soul has no subsistence but in relation to the body, and the communication of the theanthropic life to the soul is an act of the divine Spirit [8, 10].
The biblical basis for seeking God in empty seasons is not limited to the Psalms. The book of Ecclesiastes also explores this theme, with the writer noting that God has set the world in their heart, giving them capacities to understand the world as reflecting God's wisdom [6].
Ultimately, finding God in empty seasons of life requires a deep-seated trust in God's sovereignty and a commitment to seeking Him, even when the experience of His presence is elusive. As John Gill notes, the Bible encourages believers to "seek the Lord... if haply they might feel after him, and find him" (Acts 17:27 [7]). This seeking is not a guarantee of tangible results but is rather a faithful response to God's initiative.
The patristic tradition, as represented by Augustine, also highlights the importance of perseverance in seeking God, even in the face of adversity or spiritual dryness. According to Augustine, the mercy of the Lord is "seasonable in the time of affliction, as clouds of rain in the time of drought" [12]. This perspective encourages believers to view their struggles as opportunities for growth and deepening their relationship with God.
In the stillness of the night, the psalmist finds solace in meditating on God's presence, illustrating that seeking God is not limited to times of emotional or sensory experience [11]. This quiet reflection allows for a deeper focus on the true significance of life with the Lord.
The Christian understanding of seeking God in empty seasons is thus rooted in a complex interplay of biblical themes, theological perspectives, and spiritual practices. It is a multifaceted concept that acknowledges the reality of spiritual dryness while encouraging believers to persevere in their pursuit of God.
Sources
- Psalms “Psalms 42:2 (BBE) — My soul is dry for need of God, the living God; when may I come and see the face of God?”
- Psalms “God, you are my God. I will earnestly seek you. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh longs for you, in a dry and weary land, where there is no water. -- Psalms 63:1”
- Psalms “I am weary with my crying. My throat is dry. My eyes fail, looking for my God. -- Psalms 69:3”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part (Secunda Secundae), Of the Contemplative Life, Art. 5: Article: Whether in the present state of life the contemplative life can reach to the vision of the Divine essence? I answer that, As Augustine says (Gen. ad lit. xii, 27), "no one seeing God lives this mortal life wherein the bodily senses have their play: and unless in some way he depart this life, whether by going altogether out of his body, or by withdrawing from his carnal senses, he is not caught up into that vision." This has been carefully discussed above (Question [175], Ar”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, section 10.8: all without distinction, and if the one redemption through Christ was common to all?” He cuts off all ground for that question, by referring to the purpose of God the season 36 36 “ Le temps propre et la droite saison .” — “The fit time and proper season.” for revealing his grace. For if we are not astonished that in winter, the trees are stripped of their foliage, the fields are covered with snow, and the meadows are stiff with frost, and that, by the genial warmth of spring, what appeared for a time to be dead, begins to reviv”
- Ecclesiastes (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ecclesiastes 3:11: his time--that is, in its proper season (Psa 1:3), opposed to worldlings putting earthly pursuits out of their proper time and place (see on Ecc 3:9). set the world in their heart--given them capacities to understand the world of nature as reflecting God's wisdom in its beautiful order and times (Rom 1:19-20). "Everything" answers to "world," in the parallelism. so that--that is, but in such a manner that man only sees a portion, not the whole "from beginning to end" (Ecc 8:17; Job 26:14; Rom 11:33; Rev 15:4). PARKHURST, for "world," translat”
- Acts (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Acts 17:27: That they should seek the Lord,.... Or "God", as the Alexandrian copy and others, and the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions read; their Creator, and kind Benefactor, and who has appointed their time of life, and their habitations for them; and this should engage them to seek to know him, who has done all this for them, and to fear and serve him, and to glorify his name: if haply they might feel after him, and find him; which shows, that though it is possible for men, by a contemplation of the perfections of God, visible in the works of creation and provide”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 5: internally in the life of the mind.” So Olshausen 40 40 Commentary, 1 Cor. xv. 20 . teaches that the soul has no subsistence but in the body. Dr. J. W. Nevin 41 41 Mystical Presence, edit Philadelphia, 1846, p. 171. 20 says, “We have no right to think of the body in any way as a form of existence of and by itself, into which the soul as another form of such existence is thrust in a mechanical way. Both form one life. The soul to be complete, to develop itself at all as a soul, must externalize itself, throw itself out in space; and this ex”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 54: them, if we do not think of them. And it matters little how much we think of them, if we cannot see them; and we cannot see them unless the Spirit opens the eyes of our heart. We see too from this subject why the Bible represents it as the great duty of the ministry to hold forth the Word of life; by the manifestation of the truth to commend themselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. This is all they need do. They must preach the Word in season and out of season, whether men will hear, or whether they will forbear. They kno”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 5: ), spirit, soul, and body, up to the standard of the life of Christ, in whom the divine and human are merged into one, or rather appear in their original oneness. The communication of the theanthropic life to the soul is an act of the divine Spirit in which we have neither agency nor consciousness. Delitzsch infers from what our Lord said to Nicodemus, John iii. that “The operation of the Spirit of regeneration is, therefore, (1.) A free one, withdrawn from the power of human volition, of human special agency. (2.) A mysterious one, lying ”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 63:6: 63:6-8 The psalmist reflects and meditates on God’s presence through the night. In the absence of light, God is the light. The quietness of the night and the longing for dawn provide time to focus on the true significance of life with the Lord. 63:6 Meditating on God requires focused awareness, concentration, thought, and reflection (see 1:2).”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 8: Augustine — Exposition on Psalms — PSALM XLII.[4] (part 12): in the daytime is true. For it is written in a certain passage, "The mercy of the Lord is seasonable[1] in the time of affliction, as clouds of rain in the time of drought." "The Lord hath commended His loving-kindness in the day-time, and in the night will He declare it." He does not showy that He is thine Helper, unless tribulation come, from whence thou must be rescued by Him who promised it to thee "in the day-time." Therefore we are warned to be like "the ant." For just as worldly prosperity is signified by "the day”