How to Keep Walking With God Through Dark Seasons
Days are growing shorter. For our family, shorter days include more time together within the fawn-colored walls of our living room. I’m learning to appreciate the rhythms of indoor seasons. I also know I’ll soon face winter days when walking with God through the darkness feels difficult.
Not long ago, on one of these cloudless black evenings, I looked across the room to see my husband walking across the dining room with our little girl standing on his feet.
Sweet Bekah’s little body moved wherever her daddy moved as her feet rested on his much larger feet.
I immediately thought about the way God wants us to cling to him.
Familiar words came to mind: “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner” (John 5:19).
I want to walk with my Father in the same way.
Maybe you share my desire.
Maybe you’re walking through a tiring season and could use some inspiration to help you cling to the Lord as Bekah clings to her dad.
Let’s take a closer look at what the Bible says about walking with God when life is challenging.
What the Bible Says About Walking With God:
1. We walk with God when we see him in every moment.
Psalm 16:8 reads: “I have set the Lord continually before me.”
Bekah didn’t have to fix her eyes on her surroundings because she trusted her father to lead her.
Peter didn’t have to worry about the waves as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus.
And I don’t have to see every part of the path set before me as long as I keep my eyes on the One who leads me.
This kind of living takes the pressure off of me. I find freedom from the burden of worrying over every possible outcome in my life. I can trust God to lead me on level ground.
Do you want to walk with God? Keep your eyes fixed on him. When God is the object of your attention, you will stay in step with his guidance.
Do you want to walk with God? Keep your eyes fixed on him. When God is the object of your attention, you will stay in step with his guidance. #WalkingWithGod #God #FaithQuotes Share on X
2. Walking with God means we only move when he moves.
After leading God’s people out of Egypt, God instructed Moses to press on toward the Promised Land.
Moses responded: “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here” (Exodus 33:15).
I want this to be the refrain of my life: Even if this scenario looks best to me, I don’t want it if you don’t want it.
I want to be able to say:
“Father, I don’t want this job if you don’t lead me into it.”
“Lord, stop us from buying this house if you’re not calling us to relocate.”
“I don’t want this promotion if it’s not your best.”
“God, I don’t want to walk down this road if you don’t lead me along the way.”
Can you pray Moses’ prayer? Pray this prayer with a willing heart, and God will lead you to level ground.
3. We walk with God when we remain fully dependent upon him.
Watching Darrell walk with Bekah on his feet reminded me that we are called to be completely dependent upon God. Acts 17:28 reads, “For in him we live and move and exist.”
All too often, I take my life into my own hands with my striving. I cling to control instead of simply stewarding God’s calling on my life. I try to find success in my own strength.
When many of his followers began to fall away, Jesus said to his twelve disciples, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” (John 6:67).
After leaving his home, family, and career to follow Jesus, Peter responded, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life” (John 6:68). May this be our refrain as well.
God’s Promise to You:
Walking with the Lord isn’t always as exuberant as following him through a sunny field of wildflowers. There will be trouble. He promises this. There will be dark nights and difficult seasons.
In these times, the Lord is your beacon in the darkness. Should you grow too weary to walk with the Lord, he will pick you up and carry you. Cling to this promise today.
A Free Devotional Book to Help You Keep Walking With God:
The Weary Woman’s 20-Day Devotional is my free online devotional to help you connect with God in your worn and weary seasons. You will find 20 daily readings to help you find refreshment in God’s presence. Click here and I’ll send it to your email inbox today!
Calling all moms and daughters—and parents of boys!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 14, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or grandparents to read with the children they care about.
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength is for boys ages 5-13. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to courageously carry God’s love into the world. Written with input from our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven, this book will help the boys you care about find courage and strength in God. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Devotionals for Girls
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
All three books are available in print and eBook form here on Amazon. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
