When the Darkness Doesn’t Lift: Holding Onto Faith in the Silence

Some seasons of life feel like they will never end. The prayers go up, but no answers come. The suffering lingers, and the weight of it all feels unbearable.

Most of us are used to hearing stories of victory, where healing comes, relationships are restored, and the breakthrough finally happens. But what about the times when the circumstances do not change?

Psalm 88 is for those moments.

Unlike most psalms of lament, this one does not turn a corner into hope. There is no triumphant declaration of faith or moment where the psalmist suddenly finds peace. Instead, the last word of the psalm is:

"Loved one and friend You have put far from me, and my acquaintances into darkness." (Psalm 88:18, NKJV)

Darkness. That is where it ends.

And yet, this psalm is here for a reason. It tells us something critical about faith. Real faith is not just about the victories. It is about holding on, even when the darkness does not lift.

Faith in the Silence

If you have ever walked through a season where God felt distant, you are not alone. Psalm 88 reminds us that even those closest to God, including leaders, worshippers, and the faithful, have experienced the silence of heaven.

The author of this psalm, Heman the Ezrahite, was no stranger to faith. He was a chief musician during David’s reign and a leader in Israel’s worship. He was not someone who had just started praying when things got hard. He was someone who had spent his life devoted to the Lord.

And yet, he felt completely abandoned.

"O LORD, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before You." (Psalm 88:1, NKJV)

The remarkable thing about this psalm is that even though Heman feels forsaken, he never stops crying out to God. His faith does not look like confidence in deliverance. It looks like relentless prayer, even when it feels like no one is listening.

That is what Psalm 88 teaches us. Faith is not the absence of struggle. It is bringing the struggle to God, again and again.

When God Does Not Change the Circumstance

I will be honest. I prefer the psalms of David.

David’s psalms often start in despair but nearly always end with some declaration of victory.

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" (Psalm 27:1)

"Yet I will praise You." (Psalm 42:5)

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." (Psalm 30:5)

I like that pattern because it mirrors how I want my faith to feel. Struggle, but then breakthrough.

Psalm 88 does not give us that resolution. There is no moment where the pain turns into praise. It just ends.

And yet, we need psalms like this too. Life is not always wrapped up neatly. Sometimes the healing does not come right away. We absolutely believe that God heals because Scripture makes that clear. However, we also know that faith means trusting Him even when we do not see the miracle immediately.

This psalm is not in Scripture by accident. It tells us that we have permission to bring our raw, unfiltered, unedited emotions to God. He is not asking us to pretend we are okay. He is asking us to trust Him with the truth of where we are.

And the truth is, sometimes we feel forgotten.

God Can Handle Your Honesty

One of the most striking things about Psalm 88 is how brutally honest it is. Heman does not hold back.

He feels like God has rejected him.

He feels like his prayers are not being heard.

He feels like he is drowning in suffering.

And yet, he keeps talking to God.

"I have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth; I suffer Your terrors; I am distraught." (Psalm 88:15, NKJV)

Sometimes faith looks like raising your hands in worship. Other times, it looks like whispering desperate prayers in the dark, wondering if God hears them.

But the fact that Heman keeps praying, even when it feels pointless, is an act of faith. And if you are in a season where you feel abandoned, keep praying.

God can handle your honesty.

You do not have to pretend to be okay. You do not have to force yourself to smile when you feel broken inside. Psalm 88 shows us that God invites our honesty. The Holy Spirit inspired this psalm for a reason. It reminds us that faith is not about having all the answers, but about holding on to the One who does.

Jesus Knows This Pain Too

If Psalm 88 feels familiar, it is because Jesus Himself experienced something similar.

On the cross, Jesus cried out:

"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46)

Jesus understands what it is like to feel abandoned. He knows what it is like to cry out to God and be met with silence.

But here is what we know now. Silence does not mean absence.

Even when Jesus felt forsaken, God had not left Him. The same is true for you.

Psalm 88 may end in darkness, but the story of Scripture does not. The cross was not the end of Jesus’ story, and your suffering is not the end of yours.

Holding On When You Cannot See the Light

So what do you do when the darkness does not lift?

Keep talking to God. Even if all you can say is, "Lord, help me." He hears you.

Remember that faith is not about feelings. Your emotions may shift, but God’s presence does not.

Hold onto the truth that Jesus understands. You have a Savior who has walked through suffering before you.

Psalm 88 reminds us that faith is not always pretty. Sometimes it is just persistent.

So if you are in a season where it feels like God is silent, know this.

He sees you. He has not forgotten you. Even in the darkness, He is still at work.

A Prayer for Today: Trusting God in the Silence

Heavenly Father,

Today, I come before You with an open heart. Some days are filled with joy and clarity, but other days feel heavy with questions and uncertainty. In the moments when I do not hear Your voice, when my prayers seem to echo into silence, help me to trust that You are still near.

You are the God who sees me. You are the God who knows my every thought and holds every tear I have cried. Even when I do not feel You, I choose to believe that You are working in ways I cannot yet see.

Strengthen my heart today. Give me the faith to keep praying, to keep seeking, and to keep holding on to Your promises. Remind me that Your timing is perfect, that Your plans are good, and that You are always faithful.

Lord, I lay my burdens at Your feet. Whether I see answers today or must wait for another season, I choose to trust You. I choose to believe that You are with me in the waiting, in the silence, and even in the struggle.

Thank You for loving me, for sustaining me, and for never letting me go.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen