"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." , Hebrews 11:1
Have you ever sat in a room so dark that you could no longer see your own hands? Have you ever felt a silence so heavy that it seemed to press against your very chest, making it hard to draw a breath? When you reach out for comfort in the midst of a personal trial, do you find yourself grasping at shadows, wondering if the Divine has truly forgotten your name? We have all been there. We have all stood at the edge of the abyss, crying out for a sign, only to be met with what feels like a hollow, empty void.
In those moments of spiritual sensory deprivation, the Enemy whispers his most potent lies. He tells us that if we cannot see Him, He isn't there. He suggests that our prayers are merely bouncing off a ceiling of cold, indifferent brass. We find ourselves caught in a "firebrand of emotional devastation," struggling to reconcile our physical reality with our spiritual hunger.
Yet, it is often in the deepest darkness that the Light of God is most ready to be revealed, not to our physical eyes, but to the eyes of our spirit. Today, we look back into the archives of Presence Of The Lord Ministries USA to a quiet night in 2001. Pastor Anthony Joseph Massotti, Th.M. shared a profound, intimate moment of realization that occurred in the stillness of his library. It is a message that remains a beacon for anyone navigating a "dark night of the soul."
The Archive: Late Night In The Library With The Lord (2001)
By Anthony J. Massotti, Th.M.
Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it. Rev 3:8 KJV
Late, the other night, I was in my library, sitting in a chair, sitting in the dark, praying to the Lord. Like most people, I have certain favorite places to pray. In my case, it is the above setting. The room is mostly dark with only a soft green glow from a clock screen. Where I sit it is pitch black, but I like sitting there to pray because it is so peaceful. In my prayer ‘closet’ I have my chair just so, and my arms rest on the shelves just so, and I have a soft cloth on the floor just so, and beside me I have my cup of hot water just so. Comfy-cozy just so!
As I was praying I instinctively reached down to grab my cup. I knew exactly where to grab for it, because I had it ‘just so.’ I prayed, I drank; I prayed some more, I drank. Finally I paused for a moment to just sit in the silence; to hold my cup, to sip a sip, to think a thought. Sip. Think. Sip Think. Stare into the dark.
It’s funny how things seem so ‘normal’ to us after we have done them repetitively. I had done this routine countless numerous of times. Yet, never had I ever noticed the obvious; I was holding a glass cup (clear) filled with hot water (clear) in a pitch black room , I COULD NOT SEE MY CUP.
I stopped to think of what it was like as a little kid trying to drink out of a cup. Man! That required two hands, two eyes, careful maneuvering, staring at the liquid in broad daylight and then STILL SPILLING IT! Yet here I was now doing it without any ‘proof’ that I was doing it right. Sound silly? It didn’t to me. My eyes had no proof that the cup was there, neither did my ears, neither did my smell. Only TOUCH (hands, lips, tongue, warmth inside) told me what I needed to know; that, and my memory of WHERE TO FIND THE CUP!
Not seeing the cup began to make me feel a little ‘freaky’ inside. The cup was INVISIBLE to me! Yet, I enjoyed its substance. My eyes had no proof that it was really there, but my other senses assured me that I was indeed interacting with the cup and enjoying the refreshing water. I was AWARE no matter how blind I was as I STARED.
Something, deep inside me, became stirred. I thought: “God is INVISIBLE, and here I sit with Him whom I cannot see.” Is He not my cup too? He said, ‘if any man thirst come unto me and I will give you drink.’ He said He will fill us with His Holy Spirit and likened Himself unto water. Sitting there, I felt comforted. When my eyes cannot see, and my ears do not hear His Presence, it is no proof at all that He is not present with me. MY SPIRIT can FEEL what I cannot prove with my eyes. MY HEART can RECEIVE refreshing drink from the Fountain of His Spirit even if I cannot touch Him with my hands. I can TOUCH HIM and he can touch me!
The only thing I indeed need to remember is WHERE I LAST REACHED HIM , IN MY CLOSET. He promised that if I pray in my closet, THAT HE WILL LISTEN, and that He will fill me with Himself. I think I shall sit there more often. It is very peaceful in that place, drinking of that refreshing Spirit. The world may seem dark, but I am holding on to the invisible!!
Original Copyright: © Anthony J. Massotti Th.M. 3/4/2001
The Dichotomy of Sight and Substance
In this beautiful reflection, Pastor Anthony Massotti, Th.M. presents us with a logical dichotomy that defines the Christian walk: We either live by the limitations of our physical sight, or we live by the "Law of Faith." (See: The Law of Faith).
When we rely on our physical eyes, we are like the child Pastor Anthony describes, fumbling, spilling, and requiring "proof" for every move. But as we mature in Christ, we learn to interact with the Invisible. Consider the linguistic distinction between "evidence" and "substance" found in Hebrews 11. In the Greek, the word for substance is hypostasis, which literally means "that which stands under", a foundation or a structural reality. The "invisible cup" in the dark library had substance even though it provided no visual evidence.
The Enemy, that "wolf cloaked in sheep’s clothing," wants to convince us that if there is no evidence, there is no substance. He uses the darkness of our circumstances, grief, financial lack, or physical illness, as a "dirt in the vase" to cloud our vision. He wants YOU to believe that God has vanished simply because the room has gone dark.
Spiritual Warfare in the Silence
We must recognize that the "silence of God" is often a strategic maneuver in spiritual warfare. The Devil tries to distract us from the fight by making us focus on our lack of "feeling." (Learn more: 22 Ways the Devil Tries to Distract You). When we feel nothing, we are tempted to stop reaching. We stop reaching for the Word, we stop reaching for the "cup" of His presence, and we eventually wander out of the "closet" and back into the chaotic noise of the world.
But look at the metaphor Pastor Anthony uses: the cup was "just so." There is a discipline in the dark. There is a "closet" of prayer that we must maintain. If we do not have a consistent place, a routine of holiness and a "soul cry" for the Divine, we will not know where to reach when the lights go out. (Read: Soul Cry Poetry).
Practical Spiritual Action
How do we "hold on to the invisible" when our world is falling apart? It requires a shift from the exterior to the interior.
- Acknowledge the Darkness: Do not be afraid of the silence. Behold, the Lord is often closest when the world is quietest.
- Utilize Your Spiritual Senses: If your eyes see no way out, let your spirit "feel" the warmth of His promise.
- Remember the Source: You must remember where you last found Him. He has not moved; your circumstances have simply obscured the view.
We must choose to believe that the "Light of God" is a reality that transcends our optical nerves. It is a radiance that permeates the soul. When you sit in your own version of that dark library, do not panic. Do not let the "freaky" feeling of the invisible drive you to despair. Instead, reach down. The Cup is there. The Spirit is waiting to provide that refreshing drink that the world can neither give nor understand.
Immediate Spiritual Commands
The time for hesitation is over. YOU must do something to secure your peace in the midst of the storm.
- FIND your "closet": that dedicated space where you can shut out the world.
- REACH out in faith, even when your hands feel empty and your heart feels heavy.
- DRINK deeply from the Word of God, for it is the only water that truly satisfies the thirsty soul.
- CHOOSE Life and Truth over the deceptive shadows of the Enemy.
- BEHOLD the open door that no man: and no devil: can shut.
Stay grounded in the Word, stay focused on the Invisible, and remember that even in the pitch black, you are never truly alone.
Original Content by Pastor Anthony Joseph Massotti, Th.M. (2001)
Edited and Expanded for Presence Of The Lord Ministries USA (2026)