Before the Breakthrough
Living Psalm 43 When You’re Hanging by a Thread
In seasons of depression, waiting, insecurity, or fear, it’s easy to pray. But often our prayers sound like this:
“Get me out of here.”
“Bring relief so I can finally buy ______.”
”Where are you?!”
Sometimes we even Dave Ramsey our spirituality—stacking jobs, calling it “sacrifice for the family,” when in truth… we just don’t want our lifestyle to change.
But what if these seasons are allowed by God not to punish you, but to reshape your perspective?
What if the cure for depression isn’t always found in the quick prescription of a pill?
I’ve lived through all of it—depression, fear, exhaustion. And I’m still in the waiting season. So let me share what God is teaching me, in hopes that it lifts your spirit, too.
Today’s revelation: Psalm 43
Psalm 43 is often considered an extension or appendix to Psalm 42. The psalmist is likely being betrayed and seems surrounded by people uninterested in truth. Yet instead of manufacturing inner strength or lighting his own fires, he pleads with God:
“Send out Your light and Your truth; let them lead me.” (v.3)
His prayer is raw and focused—not for escape, but for God’s presence. The psalmist knows that joy is found not in relief, but in being brought back to God’s dwelling place.
Old Testament Context
To ancient Israel, “light” and “truth” were covenant words—requests for divine restoration, bringing them back to Mount Zion, the place of God’s presence. Nearness to God was tied to a physical space.
New Testament Reality
Today, we know that:
Jesus is the Light. “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12)
Jesus is the Truth. “I am the way, the truth, and the life…” (John 14:6)
And the “dwelling place” is no longer a temple, but God Himself through Christ:
“We have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus…” (Hebrews 10:19)
“We are being built into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit…” (Ephesians 2:22)
We are not being led to a hill in Jerusalem—but to the eternal presence of Yahweh… right there in your recliner, prayer room, and quiet place at home.
How do we seek God in seasons of darkness?
1. Seek God Honestly.
Don’t fake joy. The psalmists never did. Their prayers were accurately unfiltered—not rants, but real talk directed to God.
Never Finished Challenge:
Name your wounds to invite God into them.
Naming them isn’t weakness—it’s the doorway to healing.
Elijah said, “I have had enough, Lord…” (1 Kings 19)
David cried, “How long, Lord? Will You forget me forever?” (Psalm 13)
God can handle your unfiltered self. He’s not asking for polished prayers—He’s asking for presence. After all, He knows your heart.
2. Cry Out for Light and Truth.
This was a breakthrough for me:
Why do I really want this waiting to end?
Why do I want financial freedom or healing?
If it’s not to glorify God first, I’ve missed the point.
Never Finished Challenge:
Let His Word and presence do the leading.
“Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint…” (Romans 5:3–5)
What is hope, really?
Adam Young, in Make Sense of Your Story, says hope isn’t born from avoiding pain but from engaging your story with honesty and compassion. As you name your wounds and invite God into them, hope rises—not as wishful thinking, but as the deep assurance of His presence in your suffering.
3. Move Toward the Presence of God.
One whisper of His truth is more powerful than a thousand critics.
Never Finished Challenge:
Go to God before:
concluding an outcome
venting to a friend
or taking medicine
Your emotions will spiral if the world defines them. But when you go to God first, you’ll gain understanding. From that place, the right friend, medicine, or action becomes clear.
Kathryn Greene-McCreight, in Darkness Is My Only Companion, writes that healing is holistic—yes, medicine, therapy, and rest matter—but it begins with seeking God’s presence. One whisper from Him can clarify more than any diagnosis.
4. Anchor Your Hope in What Is Unshakable.
Not in the storm passing, but in His arrival—in this life or the next.
“Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him…” (Psalm 43:5)
Even if that praise only comes when I see His face.
Never Finished Challenge:
But what if you don’t even have the strength to let down your anchor?
The fact that you're still hanging on—even by a thread—is evidence of grace. You’re still here. That means God is in it with you.
Sing worship. Fill your house, car, or headphones with praise.
Stop buying the lie that the world can anchor you.
Stop trading long-term treasure for short-term relief.
5. Remember: His Coming Is Not Dependent on Your Relief.
If depression lingers, it’s not a sign God has abandoned you.
It’s a sign He is still upholding you.
Never Finished Challenge:
Declare this over your life:
“Even if the pain stays, I will not stay in despair.
His light is coming.
His truth will lead me home.
I shall again praise Him—if not in this valley, then on that final mountain of glory.”
What Does Today Say About God?
I almost thought about reading a devotional this morning…or listening to a motivational talk.
And then I looked back at what I read in His word and wrote—and remembered:
God is already here.
His Word is alive. His presence is near.
He’s not hiding. He wants to be found.
Not for religious duty—but for a relationship deeper than words can articulate.
The picture above is of my eleven-month-old daughter smacking my forehead. It’s funny to her, and it was funny to me when I thought about her name, Mercy.
Often, I need a smack in the forehead from God or Mercy 😂 to remind myself that He is in it.
Thank you, Mercy, for the reminder.
What a Father.
What a Friend.
Thank you, Jesus. 🙌