Because Of Who You Are

Do you have a song that takes you back to a particular season of your life? You hear the first few notes, and suddenly you remember where you were, what you were carrying, and how desperately you needed God. For me, that song is “Because of Who You Are.”

During one of the most stressful and challenging periods of my life, that song held me together. I was going through a divorce, and at the same time, my son had unexpectedly become seriously ill. That was where I was. In a seasons when it wasn't just one thing attacking you. Before you could catch your breath from one situation, something else happened.

Life seemed to be hitting me from every angle. I couldn't fix my marriage. I couldn't heal my son. I didn't know what tomorrow was going to look like. There were days when I simply could not see my way out. And somewhere in the middle of all of that, the words of this song became more than words.

Jehovah Jireh—my Provider.
Jehovah Shalom—my Prince of Peace.

I had heard those names before, but now I was living them. I needed God to provide when I didn't know how things were going to work out. I needed His peace when my mind was filled with questions. I needed Him to make a way when, from where I stood, there didn't appear to be one. And He did.

Not always the way I expected. Not always according to my timetable. And He didn't show me the entire road ahead. Most days, He simply gave me enough grace for the step I was standing on. Sometimes that was all I could handle.

I think about the children of Israel standing at the Red Sea. Water was in front of them. Pharaoh's army was behind them. From where they stood, there was nowhere to go. But God saw a road where they saw only water. “The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”  Exodus 14:14. Then God opened the sea.

I understand that story differently now because I have stood at my own Red Sea. Maybe you are standing at one today. Who do you need God to be for you right now? Do you need Him to be your Provider? Your Peace? Are you standing before something that looks impossible, needing God to make a way you cannot yet see?

Sometimes you don't really know God as a Way Maker until you need a way made. You don't fully understand Him as Provider until what you need is beyond what you can provide for yourself. And sometimes you don't appreciate the depth of His peace until everything around you feels anything but peaceful.

That season changed my relationship with God. I learned to hold on to Him, not simply because of what I wanted Him to do, but because of who He is. I learned to worship Him when I didn't understand what was happening. I learned to trust Him when I couldn't trace what He was doing. And somewhere through the tears, uncertainty, hospital days, prayers, and changes I never asked for, my love for Him deepened.

Today, when I hear that song, I don't just hear music. I hear my testimony. God, You were there. You provided. You gave me peace. You made a way. Perhaps you are in that kind of season right now. You cannot see how things are going to work out. I won't tell you the road will always be easy. Mine wasn't. But I can tell you what I learned: Not being able to see the way does not mean God doesn't have a way. Sometimes we learn who God is when life brings us to a place where He is all we have to hold on to. And when we look back, we discover He was all we ever needed.

Pearl's Prayer:

Father, thank You for being my Provider, my Peace, and the One who makes a way when I cannot see one. For the person reading this who is standing at their own Red Sea, remind them that You are already there. Help us to trust You when we don't understand, hold on when the road is difficult, and worship You not only for what You do, but simply because of who You are. Amen.

I Am The Vessel, God Is The Grace