There are moments that mark us for life, moments that change everything. For me, that moment came when I was in high school. I was struggling, and not just with school. Family life was tough, and I found myself sinking into a pit of low self-esteem. I felt disconnected from everyone — like I didn’t belong. There was a constant weight of not feeling good enough. It’s strange how you can be surrounded by people and still feel completely alone.
David’s story has always really resonated with me. He was anointed to be king but spent years running from Saul, hiding in caves and wildernesses. Even though he was chosen, he probably felt forgotten. His cries to God in Psalm 57:2 hit home for me: “I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me.” David was searching for purpose, and in many ways, so was I.
At my lowest, I encountered Christ. It wasn’t a dramatic event with thunder and lightning, but it was real. Like David found God in the wilderness, I found Christ in the middle of my emotional turmoil. I realized that even in the mess of my life, He saw me. It was then that Psalm 27:1 became my lifeline: “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?” It was a reminder that no matter how small or invisible I felt, God had chosen me, just like He had chosen David.
That encounter didn’t mean my problems magically disappeared. My family situation didn’t improve overnight, and my self-esteem didn’t instantly get better. But something shifted in my heart. Just like David didn’t become king right after his wilderness experiences, I didn’t get all the answers right away. But I found hope. I knew that God was with me in the middle of it all.
David’s prayer in Psalm 27:14, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage”, became my go-to when life got overwhelming. I learned that sometimes God doesn’t pull us out of hard situations immediately. Instead, He sits with us in the pain and helps us grow through it. That time of waiting, of wrestling with self-doubt and family issues, taught me to lean on Him in ways I never had before.
What I love about David’s story is that his time in the wilderness wasn’t wasted. God used it to shape him into the king he was destined to be. In the same way, God was using my struggles to shape me. He was teaching me that my worth wasn’t defined by what others thought or by how I felt about myself, but by His love for me. Slowly, I started to see myself the way He sees me—fearfully and wonderfully made.
Looking back, I can see how God was with me, even when I didn’t fully realize it. He met me in my loneliness and uncertainty. Like David, I came out of that season with a deeper understanding of who God is and who I am in Him. And while my journey isn’t perfect, I now walk with the assurance that “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6).
Even now, God continues to meet me in the hills and in the valleys.
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