One of the strangest and hardest experiences a Christian must pass through is the "Dark Night of the Soul." This is the place in one's Christian growth where God literally becomes your enemy, and it is called The Dark Night of the Soul because it is a period of time when God withdraws his loving light and allows the darkness of evil to swallow you up. This is a frightening and terrifying time for anyone who endures it, because every good thing you have ever learned about God vanishes in the midst of cruel and harsh circumstances from which there appears to be no escape. From my limited experience, it does not appear that every Christian passes through this Dark Night of the Soul, but rather, it seems to be reserved for mature believers whom God knows can handle such a horrible experience. 1 Corinthians 4:9-13  

Abraham passed through such a time when God told him to kill his beloved son, Isaac. Genesis 22:1,2

Joseph experienced this time of darkness when he was falsely accused of rape and ended up imprisoned for several years in a vile prison. Genesis 39:6-20   

David encountered his Dark Night of the Soul when King Saul repeatedly tried to kill him. 1 Samuel 27:1 

Tamar experienced that horrifying darkness when she was raped by her half-brother, Amnon.  2 Samuel 13:12-20

Job writhed in pain during his Dark Night when all Hell broke lose against him. Job 2:7

But the best example of the Dark Night of the Soul is when Jacob had to wrestle with God. Genesis 32:22-32  It was a terrifying time for Jacob, because God himself had become his enemy, and it wasn't until morning came that Jacob realized this was not some human assailant come to harm him, but rather it was the Lord Jesus himself. Shortly after that, Jacob asked for and received a blessing from God, but strangely enough, Jesus also wrenched Jacob's hip, resulting in a painful limp the rest of his life.  

When Jacob wrestled with Jesus, Jesus remained unscathed, while Jacob walked away a wounded man. That doesn't seem fair or right, but hundreds of years later, Jesus also wrestled with God in his own Dark Night of the Soul, and he also was seriously wounded from that experience, and the place of that wrestling was Gethsemane. Luke 22:39-53.

Everything that Jacob had to endure, Jesus endured. Both wrestled when the power of darkness was at it's strongest; Luke 22:53 both faced dangerous enemies come to harm them; Matthew 26:47  both recoiled at the conflict that was about to erupt against them; Mark 14:34-36  both felt that God had forsaken them; Mark 15:34  both received God's blessing; Philippians 2:5-11 both received new names; Philippians 2:9  both gained victory; Colossians 2:13-15  and both Jacob and Jesus walked away permanently wounded. John 20:24-27 

Jesus triumphed over his enemies during the Dark Night of the Soul as a Wrestling Jacob, and he wrestled with God to gain victory for you and for me. Because he endured the agonies of  Gethsemane, his mockery of a trial, and his cruel crucifixion, he gained the right to give you and me the gift of eternal life. While Jacob wrestled God for his own life, Jesus wrestled for the whole world, and now out of his triumph, our enemy death has been defeated forever! Revelation 20:14  Hallelujah!

As followers of Jesus, do not be surprised if you also must become a "Wrestling Jacob." As we take up our cross and follow Jesus, Mark 8:34  we must also pass through our own Gethsemane, where the powers of darkness prevails against us, at least for a time. Not everyone is called to endure such a horrible experience, but for those of us who are, it appears that the more you suffer for and with Jesus, the greater will be your reward. Matthew 5:11,12     

I have passed through my own Dark Night of the Soul, and it is frightening and terrifying place, and no doubt many of you will also end up there as Wrestling Jacobs, but do not be afraid! I survived, Jacob survived, Abraham survived, Tamar survived, David survived, Jesus survived, and so will you!

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