Dinah Kay

I had a Red Sea moment. A mountaintop experience. You know what I’m talking about. That time when God rescues you from an abyss. He delivers you unexpectedly. Maybe it’s a clean bill of health you didn’t expect. Or a near brush with death and you realize the only way you survived was because God protected you.

This was me. God had quietly delivered me in an unexpected way. People around me who had prayed for me were celebrating! I was in shock and awe. It will most likely take the rest of my life to fully grasp what God did for me.

And I just knew, for the rest of my days, I would trust Him, no matter what.

And then… 

…the very next week… not even ten days later, I got hit with bad news. And it rocked me. 

To the core.

I had just seen God do something miraculous in my life. And I knew He could deliver me from this too. I knew his goodness would carry me through this.

And yet, I was just so afraid. And if I’m being completely honest, I still am.

I thought to myself… “How can you be so confident in the goodness of God one minute and so stinking fearful the next?”

I felt like the Israelites, after just walking across the dry ground of the Red Sea… seeing the giant walls of water on either side. Feeling the ground thunder as the Egyptians chased after them. And watching as those same walls of water collapsed in on their enemies. Knowing their enemies were gone and at long last, they were finally, completely free. 

Only to turn around, a few weeks later and doubt Him, again… grumbling and complaining in the desert.

My head knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God had this problem in his hand and He would deal with it. My heart saw my circumstances and sank into doubt and fear.

How could I go from one extreme to another in less than ten days?

And isn’t this what we all do? Each and every single one of us. We worship God when He answers our prayer with a, “Yes!!” And we doubt Him, questioning if He hears our prayers in the silence. In the “Not yet.” And especially in the, “No.”

I admit, I didn’t handle this well. I turned to God, but I also let my emotions take over. I struggled hard for about a week. It wasn’t until I met with a good friend. A heart-friend who’s been with me through so many ups and downs. Maybe you have someone like this in your life. Someone who you can laugh and cry with all in the same breath. And I pray that you do. Oh that we all would have marvelous comrades who fear God.

And she preached Jesus to me. Honey to my soul. Below is a snapshot of what she told me and how it encouraged me. It was just so good, I wanted to share it with you all as well.

Psalm 23 is not just for funerals.

Psalm 23 is not just for funerals. It is for the everyday. It is the highest heights with God and the lowest depths. We can be walking through the, “valley of the shadow of death,” one minute and rejoicing that our, “cup overflows,” the next. 

I, Dinah, remember, when I was five years old, this was the very first passage of scripture I ever memorized. And it’s been with me ever since. I still remember the picture of the border collie on the blue and white memory card. This psalm has carried me through many highs and lows. That she brought this to my mind was an instant balm.

We know God is with us in the highs. We don’t need to be reminded of his goodness then. We learn more in our heartache and grow closer to Him in our deepest sorrow then we ever do in our sweetest, most joyful moments.

Then, my sweet friend, told me a story about how, as a college student, she needed a car and couldn’t afford one. She prayed hard for this car as she had no other options. God showed up and a family from her church gifted her one.

She told me, “pray hard.”

She told me, “pray hard.” And she told me she would, “pray hard,” too.

That theme of “praying hard,” was repeated to me in the days that followed. And that’s what I’ve been doing ever since. Praying hard. Praying for rescue. Praying that God would show up and provide in whatever way He chooses to do so.

This story isn’t over. I’m still in the thick of it. And let’s be clear, I’m not expecting God to show up and give me a car. I mean, that would be amazing. But I also know that God isn’t a drive-through window where I can place my order. But He is good. And, I’m still praying hard. Instead of sinking in the waves of doubt and despair, I’m riding them in a boat built firmly of ceaseless prayer. 

When doubt and despair start to take hold, I tune my heart to sing his praise. And this has made all the difference.

I don’t have the answers. But I do know that God is good. He will carry me through.

So, dear-heart… what do you need? Right now. Are you on a mountaintop? Or are you in the valley of the shadow of death? Where is your heart? Where is God for you in this moment?

I know He longs to carry you through whatever storm you face now or in the future. Because let’s face it, even if we are on the mountaintop now, we know that storms will come. It’s not a matter of, “if,” but, “when.”

The Bible promises that hope in God does not disappoint. Everything else in this world may fail, but He does not.

Maybe you’re like me and you’ve been disappointed by life and the people in your life more times than you can count. Or maybe, like me, you’re also the one who’s disappointed others. What comfort to know that the God of the universe, who controls the wind and the waves, who can heal cancer and provide blessing – He does not disappoint. Even when we don’t understand, He still does not disappoint. 

That makes me want to trust Him, even when I don’t understand. Let’s trust Him together. Let’s commit right now, to trust Him. Let’s be accountable to each other. Let’s remind each other when we need it most.

Count it all joy.