As my eyes slowly opened, they were greeted by soft hues of morning light. I put my glasses on and peered through the small airplane window. Dawn was breaking over the Rocky Mountains, coloring snowy peaks and rugged slopes in rosy shades. Deep valleys, still cloaked with fog, were woven throughout the landscape bringing depth and mystery to the new day.

The beauty of it all was tremendous. What struck my heart the most, though, was the way that the icy east faces of the tallest mountains caught the light. It was as if they were attentive to the dawn, waiting for it with expectation and reverence. The morning rays shown on those cragged faces with particular elegance: a radiant, golden color illuminated them above the rest of the wooded terrain.

Those cold and lonely summits, though barren in comparison the the lower hills around them, were breathtaking. Nobility and grace were the hallmarks of their posture. It was these mountain tops that were the chief heralds of the dawn. Something resonated deeply within my heart as I looked upon them.

The past few seasons have been difficult ones. There have been joys and blessing, to be sure, but pain and sadness were present more often than not. It seems that I’ve done little more than walk through successive valleys of loss and deserts of discouragement. The successive weeks and months of grey were beginning to wear on me. During the most difficult times, my heart found respite in the days where tears fell only once.

I felt broken, raw, and stark before the Lord. Frustration built up as fought what felt like a never ending battle against disappointment while struggling to maintain even a shred of authentic hope. And yet, He was faithful to meet me in the midst of the heaviness and confusion.

In His goodness, the Lord does not break the bruised reed nor does He snuff out the smoldering wick. Instead, He uses even the darkest chapters of our stories to draw our hearts closer to His own. This process is slow. It’s gritty and deep-seated. The result, however, is worth every moment of the challenging journey.

Through His grace, the Lord often provides for our hearts through solitude and simplicity (see Luke 5:16, Psalm 46:10, Lamentations 3:28-33). Those two precious guides work in the midst of the pain in our hearts to cleave away false security and establish Truth. Solitude places our hearts in a space where, though lonely, our hearts are able to hear His still small whisper all the better. As we listen to His voice, He writes His Word all the more deeply in our hearts (see Deut 11:18, Prov 3:3, Prov 6:21, Prove 7:3, Ex 13:9). This process of a deeper indwelling of Truth is fortified by simplicity. Pulling away the “fluff,” the “extra,” the “complexity” allows our hearts to know and see the Lord all the better (Hosea 2:14-23). The pain may be all the more acute as the crutches of distraction and escape are taken away, but the Spirit meets our hearts with comfort and peace that teaches our hearts to better hear the Lord’s voice.

In this, our hearts come to resemble those mountain peaks. We may be lonely. Our hearts may feel cold from pain or appear jagged from the places where false security was cut away. But the authenticity of that place is remarkable, stunning, precious. Just like the crisp summit winds, the air is clearer. Our dialogue with the Lord is deeply honest and our worship, meek as it may be, stands tall above our circumstance.

So, dear saints, if you find yourself in a season of barrenness, cling to hope (Heb 10:23). Darkness will give way to light. When it does, your heart will be perfectly positioned to catch the dawn with a radiance that you scarcely have thought possible. Nobility and strength are your portion as His child and they will be put on display for all to see in the fullness of His jubilant Light.