Dark Night of the Soul- part 2 of 6

It is apparent from the writings of the Puritans, and gleaning from the Scriptures that spiritual desertion is real. From our perspective, it stands in contradistinction of the popular gospel preached today, which promises ease of living and avoidance of pain. The Puritans were not afraid to publicly write and pronounce that it was quite possible and even probable that the child of God, walking holy and upright before God, may at some point in his life experience a sense of desertion.

The question we would ask here is, why’? It is the question that Jesus asked on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” It is the question we most frequently ask in the midst of life. Why would God invite us to call Him, Father, and then at times in our relationship allow us to feel this sense of desertion?

The Puritans believed that some desertions were the result of the direct action of God. However, they were careful to point out that while God may be the chief cause of the condition, He was not cause of those associated features, such as fear and doubt. Often, we must admit that we do not ultimately know the causes of God’s withdrawal. The reasons are many and varied. However, as William Bridge said in answer to the question of why, “In general, it is for their good. For their good they have peace and comfort, and for their good they lack peace and comfort.” The Puritans placed the reasons for the desertion in seven general categories, which we will review in parts 3 - 6.