In the sport of freediving, athletes dive in the ocean without the use of oxygen tanks. They follow a cable down, retrieve the flag, and return it to the surface. On July 20, 2023, Arnaud Jerald broke the world record at the Wimbledon of freediving, Vertical Blue, held in the Bahamas. His record was 400’ (122 meters). He held his breath for three minutes and 34 seconds. Arnaud holds eight world records, each time diving a meter longer. The question is, how deep will he go? How much risk is he willing to take?
For me, this brings a magnificent question to mind: How much risk will God take to rescue you or me? How far will he go?
David, in Psalms 23:4 (AMP), says:
Even though I walk through the [sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me.
Life is not always full of mountaintop experiences. There are many dark, and sometimes sunless, valleys—times when life is difficult and it’s hard to see the light of happiness, joy, or even life’s purpose. Discouragements in life can cause us to hit rock bottom, where anxiety and depression can blind us. Stress from relationships, finances, work, and even life itself can also carry us to this place. David had learned in life’s journey to trust in God, even in the most difficult times. That was how he could say, “Even though I walk through the sunless valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me” (Psalm 23:4, AMP, adapted).
Fear is such a powerful emotion that when we allow it to grip us, it can paralyze us. David, however, learned that in all of life’s ups and downs, God was with him. He didn’t always feel that way, though. Listen to a few of the things he said to God:
O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? (Psalm 13:1, NLT)
Wow, "Forget me ... forever!" "Look the other way!" David, at times, felt completely abandoned by God and we, at times, can experience the same feeling as we pass through difficult circumstances. Notice, I said pass through. Whatever you do, don’t pitch your tent in the valley, keep moving! No matter how paralyzed you might feel, use your most powerful weapon, choice, to keep moving. Martin Luther King once said:
If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.
Listen to some additional lines from Psalms 13:
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? (Psalm 13:1, NIV)
There are many times we wrestle with the thoughts in our head, often our negative self-talk is louder than what God is promising us in his Word, as a result, we can settle into a pattern of sorrow, day after day after day. It sounds painful just reading those words. David continued:
Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death. (Psalm 13:3, NIV)
David was in one of those valleys in life, he thought and felt like God had abandoned him, so he cried out, asking God to give light to his eyes. This was not the physical light he was asking for, but the capacity to perceive in his mind the presence of God in the darkness, so he wouldn’t give up. Notice how, even though David felt like God had abandoned him, he did not lean away from God. Instead, in the darkness, he chose (using that powerful weapon of choice we all have) to lean into him. He did so despite troubling questions like, “Are you going to abandon me? Forever?” Notice how he expresses this choice:
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me (Psalm 13:5 & 6, NIV).
During this dark moment, while leaning into God, he said to him, “Even though I can’t see; even though I feel abandoned, I will trust in Your unfailing love.” David knew the truth about God, that He is Love (1 John 4:8), and that His love does not fail, and does not give up on anyone. Notice how he continues: My heart rejoices in your salvation [the act of saving; preservation from destruction, danger or great calamity, Noah Webster's 1888 dictionary] and I will sing, even in darkness. David learned that, no matter how deep or dark the valley, God would be there. Today, God is still there—he is with you, with me.
How deep will God dive to rescue you? Well, the truth is, he does not have to dive, because He is already there, right next to you, to me, in our deep, dark valley. Even in the sunless valley of the shadow of death, God is right there to lean into.
Follow David's simple formula (Psalm 13):
Express how you feel to God—your fears, perplexities, and doubts.
Do not prioritize your feelings but allow God and his promises to define your reality.
Lean into God, not your feelings. Exercise your weapon of choice.
Let God know you choose to trust in his unfailing love and sing. If you’re like me, just make sure no one is around! Sing or praise God, even in the darkness, because he is with you and will rescue you.
“A father had left his daughter home asleep while he went to the store to buy something. While he was doing his shopping, he heard the fire truck’s sirens. Curious to see where the fire was and what was burning, he stepped outside. To his horror, they were heading toward his house.
“Dropping what he was doing, he raced home. When he arrived, the house was engulfed in flames. There was no way he could get inside. Then from the window on the second floor, he heard his little girl's frantic cries. ‘Daddy, Daddy, where are you?’ She cried. Running toward the window where she was, he shouted, ‘Jump!’ Blinded by the smoke the little girl cried, ‘Daddy, I can’t see you!’ with reassurance he shouted, ‘I can see you, jump!’ She stepped on the windowsill and jumped. Her father braced himself broke the fall and caught her in his arms” (Great Stories by Louis Torres, pg. 159).
During those times in life when you cannot see beyond the darkness of the circumstances—perhaps like David you wonder where God is—remember, God is inviting you to jump, to lean in. He will rescue you.