In episode 19, we talked about times when God withdraws His presence from the Christian.

And Pastor John, there, you talked about Micah 7 versus 8 and 9 in that context.

I think it's worth revisiting this theme to ask the question, what does Christian hedonism

have to offer a depressed Christian?

Besides that Micah 7, 8, and 9 text, there's another beautiful text for people in darkness.

In Psalm 139, you ask the Psalm, where shall I flee from your presence?

And in verse 9, it says, if I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of

the sea, even there your hands shall lead me and your right hand shall hold me.

And then it says this, if I say, surely darkness shall cover me.

Now notice, it doesn't say, if darkness covers me, it says, if I say.

So this is a person who is despairing and speaking to themselves darkness.

If I say, surely darkness shall cover me and delight about me be night.

Even the darkness is not dark to you.

The light is bright as the day for darkness is as light with you.

I think that's capturing the person who is on the brink of despair

and is saying, darkness is all over me.

It's just covering.

I don't see any light and what is calling us to do is say, in that experience,

in that very moment, feeling all of that desertion and all of that darkness,

we say, this darkness is not dark to my God.

He sees me.

He knows me.

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