In Volume 1 of God Is Hope in Our Darkness, I wrote of the blackness of despair that surrounds us. Everyone that has faced that towering monolith of defeat knows hope can be notoriously difficult to find. Even in the church, we often leave the morning service feeling as miserable as before. Even when friends and family try to encourage us, their words fall on deaf ears. The one constant that remains is the depth of our desolation, and in our pain, it is total and complete. It is easy to consider giving up, because when we are mired in our despair, we feel overwhelmed. In that moment of utter devastation, there is no light at the end of the tunnel. All doors are closed, the lights are off, and silence surrounds us. Not even God answers the cries we send heavenward. Yet, our despair is not forever, and there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. Hope will shine for us once more, and we will live again. All we need to do is hold to the truth that God is in control, and he sees our pain. He hurts for us as we hurt, and he will be there when we come out on the other side. These biblically-based essays on finding God as our hope in the darkness are built on a central theme: God never leaves us alone, no matter how dark the night becomes. Each of these essays speaks to my heart. I hope they speak to yours.