Hope During Our Darkest Times
God is so faithful. At the moment, I am at the top of my mountain. My husband and I are pregnant with our first child (due in December). We are seeing prayers answered and promises fulfilled. While I am in my season of abundance, however, that is not the reason I can say that God is faithful. He was faithful even when we miscarried two years ago. He was faithful when I experienced a low depression last year. His character and goodness don't change just because my circumstances didn't match my expectations. God has never made false promises. He never said we'd never be hurt in this life.
During my hard times, God was my strength. I was crawling most days, but He was the reason I kept going. It was His presence with me that gave me encouragement and hope. It didn't take away the pain, but it did allow me to focus on what I have as opposed to the things I didn't during that season of my life.
In Psalm 23, David shows this same truth beautifully. It is a short psalm, with only 6 verses. I encourage you to put this post aside and read the psalm in its entirety. In it, we see that David's attitude or outlook was not determined by his circumstances. Verse 1 (NIV) says, "The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing." Yet, in verse 4 it says, "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me." Parts of verses 5 and 6 say, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies....Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,..."
These verses seem to contradict themselves when we look at things from a physical perspective. How can David say he lacks nothing when he is going through his darkest valley? There are a few things I could list that he may have been lacking just based on my own experiences of being in the valley: happiness, energy, motivation, hope for the future, etc. He talks about how God's goodness and love will follow him always, but in just the verse before he's being pursued by enemies. Some might read this psalm and think that David was in denial. The truth is, however, that he saw his situation clearly.
David wasn't denying the pain and heartache he was experiencing, but he also wasn't going to let that mask God's presence with him and all that brought along with it. Even though he was going through his darkest valley, he lacked nothing because God was with him. He allowed himself to see that God was all that he may have felt was lacking: his source of hope, his sense of security, his motivation to keep moving forward, his encourager, etc. Even when being pursued by enemies, he could say that God's goodness and love would follow him because he kept his eyes fixed on God. The Lord's presence was proof of this statement. He knew that, come what may, he would never be without these blessings because God would be there. Even if he didn't receive goodness or love from others, he was not without them because God showered him with them.
It was God's presence (and all it brings) that helped David not to hold onto the negative belief that he had nothing during his difficult season. He never lost sight of the Lord and so he never lost sight of all he had. When we go through hard times, we don't have to ignore our situations and "just think positively". We can be honest about what we are going through. But in that, we can also maintain our hope by keeping in mind who God is and what we truly have in Him. Instead of looking to our circumstances to provide evidence of these things, we need to allow God's presence to do so. He will be all that you are lacking if you let Him. It won't necessarily take all the pain away, but it will help you to see what (Who!) you have instead of all that you do not.
During my hard times, God was my strength. I was crawling most days, but He was the reason I kept going. It was His presence with me that gave me encouragement and hope. It didn't take away the pain, but it did allow me to focus on what I have as opposed to the things I didn't during that season of my life.
In Psalm 23, David shows this same truth beautifully. It is a short psalm, with only 6 verses. I encourage you to put this post aside and read the psalm in its entirety. In it, we see that David's attitude or outlook was not determined by his circumstances. Verse 1 (NIV) says, "The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing." Yet, in verse 4 it says, "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me." Parts of verses 5 and 6 say, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies....Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,..."
These verses seem to contradict themselves when we look at things from a physical perspective. How can David say he lacks nothing when he is going through his darkest valley? There are a few things I could list that he may have been lacking just based on my own experiences of being in the valley: happiness, energy, motivation, hope for the future, etc. He talks about how God's goodness and love will follow him always, but in just the verse before he's being pursued by enemies. Some might read this psalm and think that David was in denial. The truth is, however, that he saw his situation clearly.
David wasn't denying the pain and heartache he was experiencing, but he also wasn't going to let that mask God's presence with him and all that brought along with it. Even though he was going through his darkest valley, he lacked nothing because God was with him. He allowed himself to see that God was all that he may have felt was lacking: his source of hope, his sense of security, his motivation to keep moving forward, his encourager, etc. Even when being pursued by enemies, he could say that God's goodness and love would follow him because he kept his eyes fixed on God. The Lord's presence was proof of this statement. He knew that, come what may, he would never be without these blessings because God would be there. Even if he didn't receive goodness or love from others, he was not without them because God showered him with them.
It was God's presence (and all it brings) that helped David not to hold onto the negative belief that he had nothing during his difficult season. He never lost sight of the Lord and so he never lost sight of all he had. When we go through hard times, we don't have to ignore our situations and "just think positively". We can be honest about what we are going through. But in that, we can also maintain our hope by keeping in mind who God is and what we truly have in Him. Instead of looking to our circumstances to provide evidence of these things, we need to allow God's presence to do so. He will be all that you are lacking if you let Him. It won't necessarily take all the pain away, but it will help you to see what (Who!) you have instead of all that you do not.
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