When Darkness Feels Like a Friend: Reflections from Psalm 88 Sometimes life can get us to a place where thoughts of depression, anxiety, and even suicide can make us feel like darkness may be our only friend. The enemy would have you believe that, and we see in the psalms that even the psalmists struggled with similar emotions. As we learn to lean into what we know instead of what we feel, we can have hope in the God who saves. I pray this episode blesses you. Thoughts to Journal: Have you had seasons in your life where darkness felt like a friend? If you are in that place right now, name someone you can reach out to for help. What are some practical ways that you can deal with these emotions next time they surface? Today’s Key Verse: O Lord, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you. May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry. Psalm 88:1-2   Hey friends, welcome to the Hearing Jesus Podcast.   Do you sometimes doubt if you are truly hearing God’s voice or if it’s really your own? Do you wonder how you can know the difference? Do you struggle to feel confident in your relationship with God and what He says in his word? Do you sometimes feel stagnant or like you hit a wall in your spiritual life?   Hey, I’m your host, Rachael Groll: missionary, author, pastor, and life coach. And I have been there. I, too, was doubting God’s voice in my own life. I, too, felt insecure about the things I thought God might be calling me to do. I wanted to make a difference in the world and be obedient to what God was calling me to do, but I wasn’t quite sure how to figure out what exactly that was. I kept telling myself that I was wasting time trying to figure it out or waiting for Him to show me. Or that I wasn’t qualified to do the things I thought He might be telling me to do.   The answer for me was found in the pages of the Bible, as I learned how to understand what it was actually saying. If you are ready to grow in your faith and to step confidently into the calling God has for you, then join me as we dig deep into God’s word so you can learn to live out your faith in your everyday life.   Friend, you are loved, you are cherished, and you are His.   The Hearing Jesus Podcast will encourage and equip you to step into the calling God has for your life, living out your faith in the everyday. Together we will break down walls that keep us from growing spiritually. We will dig deep into our Bibles to understand and connect the Scriptures to our lives. We will boldly obey what God calls us to do, walking through doors that only He can open.   Join me for your daily dose of faith, honesty, and prayer.   Need to chat one on one? Snag a private session with Rachael: https://calendly.com/shehears   Learn -> https://shehears.org Shop -> https://shehears.org/resources Connect -> rachael@shehears.org Community-> https://www.facebook.com/groups/743928930315696/ Instagram-> https://www.instagram.com/she_hears/ Missions Support-> https://www.cotni.org/campaigns/rachael-groll   Purchase the She Hears: Learning to Listen to Jesus Bible Study : https://shehears.org/resources   In this six-week study from the Book of John, Rachael Groll takes you on an in-depth exploration into the lives of six women Jesus knew. Women often deal with feelings of insecurity and unworthiness, yet the lives of these women show that Jesus values us, wants a relationship with us, and can use us to further His kingdom. In her warm, conversational style, Rachael ties together her life experience, knowledge of the Scriptures, and her compassion for women to encourage us and enable us to become the women God has called us to be. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices