Walking Through the Valley: Holding On to Faith in Dark Seasons

What It Means to Walk Through a Dark Season

Dark seasons often come without warning — a diagnosis, a betrayal, a silent depression, or a storm that just won’t lift. These are the moments when holding on to faith feels hardest, yet they are also the times when faith becomes most real. Scripture never promises a life without suffering, but it does promise that we never face the darkness alone. In this post, we’ll dive into how to hold on to faith when hope feels out of reach — and how God meets us in the valley, not just on the mountaintops.

Holding On to Faith

The Valley Is a Place God Knows Well

Psalm 23 is one of the most beloved chapters in the Bible, but notice the shift in verse 4:

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” Psalm 23:4

David doesn’t say God rescued him from the valley. He says God walked with him through it.

That’s the kind of God we serve — not one who merely watches from a distance, but one who steps into our sorrow and walks every painful step beside us.

The valley may be unfamiliar to you, but it’s not to Jesus. He suffered deeply. He wept. He was betrayed, abandoned, beaten, and crucified. So when you cry in the dark, you cry to a Savior who understands.

When You Can’t See the Way, Keep Trusting the Shepherd

God doesn’t always remove us from the valley — He walks with us through it. Holding on to faith in dark seasons doesn’t mean never doubting; it means continuing to believe He is near, even when He feels silent or far away.

Faith Doesn’t Always Roar — Sometimes It Whispers

Sometimes we think faith means standing tall and declaring bold truths. But when you’re walking through emotional or spiritual darkness, faith might look like a whispered prayer or the simple act of getting out of bed. Faith in hard seasons is quiet resilience, not loud declarations. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:8–9: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Faith doesn’t always roar. Sometimes, faith is just refusing to give up when everything in you wants to quit.

Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

This is what it means to walk through the valley — not unscathed, but held. Not victorious in your own strength, but upheld by the One who will not let go. When you’re holding onto faith in seasons of darkness, make sure the truth of Isaiah 41:10 is firmly grasped as well.

Lamenting Is Not Losing Faith — It’s a Form of Worship

Desperation and crying out to God is not a sign of weak faith. You are not any less faithful if you are struggling, can’t get your footing, and floundering in darkness. In truth, Scripture gives us permission — even instruction — to lament.

Biblical lament, like what we see in Lamentations 3, is an honest act of trust. God invites you to bring your pain to Him, even when you’re unsure how to pray and can only say, “Jesus.” Holding on to faith in dark seasons often means grieving with God, not apart from Him.

The book of Lamentations is full of cries of sorrow and grief — and still it includes one of the most hope-filled declarations in all of Scripture:

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.” Lamentations 3:21–22

I will never forget struggling in a major way with PPD after having our daughter and coming across this verse. Everything inside me was consumed with chaos, and I could not escape it. By His Spirit, Lamentations 3:21-22 freed me. There IS true, Living power in God’s Word. I’m praying right now God works through this verse for you as well.

Lament is not faithlessness. It’s faith expressing pain honestly to God.

It’s okay to cry. To grieve. To scream. God welcomes our rawest emotions, and He can handle all of them. And even in our most broken moments, we can choose to say, “Yet I will trust You.”

Holding on to Faith: Finding God in the Silence

When life falls apart, it’s natural to long for clear answers or divine signs. But God doesn’t always shout in the storm — sometimes, He speaks in whispers. Elijah didn’t find God in the fire, the wind, or the earthquake—but in a whisper (1 Kings 19:12).

When God feels far away, don’t assume He’s absent. Listen for Him in the quiet: in a kind word, a moment of stillness, or a verse that unexpectedly speaks to you. This is how we hold on to faith when God feels silent.

Holding on to Faith: Scriptures to Anchor You in the Valley

When your emotions are fragile, the truth of God’s Word is your anchor. God’s Word doesn’t change — even when your world does, and we know this truth because Isaiah 40:8 tells us, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”

This verse emphasizes that while everything else in life is temporary and subject to change, God’s Word is permanent and enduring.

Keep verses nearby that remind you He’s with you. Write them, pray them, repeat them.

• Isaiah 41:10 — “Do not fear, for I am with you…”
• Psalm 46:1 — “God is our refuge and strength…”
• Romans 8:38–39 — “Nothing can separate us from the love of God.”

Let these promises help you hold on to faith in dark seasons, even when nothing else feels steady.

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

I hope these additional scriptures about holding on to faith also bring hope and renewal to you.

To help you stay rooted, consider following a daily Scripture plan like YouVersion’s “Suffering Well” Bible plan, which offers free reflections and encouragement specifically for holding onto faith through hard times.

You Are Not Failing God by Struggling

God is not disappointed in your struggle. Jesus told us that in this world, we would have trouble (John 16:33). He never promised we’d feel strong all the time — He promised His grace would be sufficient when we feel weak (2 Corinthians 12:9)

He offers unending grace for every weary heart. If you’re still holding on, even by a thread, you are walking in faith.

You are not a burden to God. He isn’t impatient with your questions. He isn’t threatened by your doubt. You are beloved, even when you’re barely hanging on.

The Dark Season Will Not Last Forever

Friend, the valley is temporary, and Glory is coming!

One of the hardest truths to hold onto in suffering is this: It will not always be this way.

Romans 8:18 gives us hope: “Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
This isn’t the end of your story. Holding on to faith in dark seasons means believing that the light is coming — because God has promised it will.

We don’t need to downplay our pain—just remember it won’t last forever. One day, Jesus will return, and when He does, every tear will be wiped away, every illness healed, every sorrow transformed into joy. Until that day comes, we cling to the hope of what’s ahead, trusting that even now, we are being held as we walk by faith through the valley.

Final Thoughts: Keep Holding On to Faith, Even Slowly

If you’re walking through a dark season right now, know this: you are not alone, and this is not the end of your story. God is not finished with you. Even if all you can do today is take one small, trembling step forward — that is still faith.

Holding on to faith in dark seasons doesn’t mean having all the answers or being strong every moment. It means choosing to keep going, even when it’s hard. Let Jesus walk beside you in the valley. One day, the shadows will lift, and you’ll look back and see just how far He carried you.

 A Prayer for the Valley and Holding on to Faith in Dark Times:

Father God, thank you for being near to us in every valley, in every moment of sorrow and uncertainty. We praise You for the promise that our pain is not the end of the story. Though we walk through hard things, we are never alone—you are with us, holding us, strengthening us.

Help us to fix our eyes on what is unseen, to remember that this present suffering is temporary, and that a day is coming when You will make all things new. Give us faith to keep walking, even when the way is unclear, and hope that anchors us in Your unchanging Word.

Lord, until that day when every tear is wiped away, help us to live as people of promise—trusting You, leaning on You, and sharing Your light with a weary world.

In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen.

Keep Walking — And Don’t Walk Alone

If this devotional encouraged you as you’re holding on to faith in a dark season, know that you’re not alone. Jesus is with you — and so is this community.

This post is Part 3 of the Hope in the Hard Places series. If you haven’t yet, take time to read the rest:

• Part 1: Why God Allows Suffering
• Part 2: Christian Mental Health – Faith, Healing, and Wholeness
• Next up → Part 4: How the Church Can Walk with the Hurting (coming soon)

Reflection Questions:

1. What Scripture can you cling to this week as an anchor for your soul?
2. How have you seen God’s faithfulness, even in small ways?
3. How do you stay grounded in your faith when life feels uncertain?
4. What’s one truth about God you’re learning in this season?