How Do You Walk Through Life’s Darkest Moments? | Phil Kniesel

This week, Pastor Phil dives into the heart of Psalm 23:4 and explores what it means to walk through life’s darkest valleys. With honesty and hope, he reminds us that fear doesn't have to win when we know God is with us. You'll also hear a powerful personal story from Pastor Katie about finding God’s presence in the middle of pain. No matter what you're facing, you are not alone.

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Transcript

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- Hey, this is Phil Kal, lead pastor at Hope City Church. Thanks for tuning into our podcast. My prayer is that this helps and encourages you, gives you some practical ways to live out your faith and ultimately fills you with hope. Enjoy the message.- Well, moms, we love you. And I too want to take this moment to wish every mom here a happy Mother's day. I trust you will be treated awesome and appreciated for who you are. Now, if you've been attending here for any length of time, you probably know by now that I dislike snakes. I've said it before and I'll say it again. If it slithers I sprint, there's nothing appealing about them. You might think differently and that's fine, but me and snakes don't get along. A while back, I don't know how these articles find me, but they sort of do. I was reading about how Florida is having some problems with pythons. They're breeding very fast and showing up in places people don't want them. Places like backyards in pools. And yes, even in toilets in the summer of 2019, wildlife workers discovered the largest python ever found in Florida. It was 140 pounds and over 17 feet long. And here's a picture of it. What more, what is more disturbing is that they discovered that this thing was carrying 73 eggs. Friends, that's not a snake. That's a prehistoric nightmare with a baby shower planned. Okay, , there's no way in the world I would be posting for a picture with that thing. Just say, I'd probably be in the truck with the windows rolled off. And honestly, if you ever see me in a photo with a python, you can assume one thing. It's a hostage situation. All right, . Bottom line, I have a fear of snakes. They're creepy, they're slimy, they're sneaky. And I have good theological backing to go with it as well. But fear is universal. We obviously don't all share the same fear, but we all fear something. If you were to Google the top fears of humanity, you'd get everything from heights to spiders to being alone to public, speaking to social places. There is even a fear called hipot. Mastros, qui phobia. That's a legit word and it means a fear of big words, . So we all have fears. Some are rational, some are irrational, like a fear of big words. Some are emotional and social like rejection, judgment, and failure. Some are existential like death, illness, and the loss of a loved one. What's your fear? See, fears can stop us in our tracks. They paralyze us from moving forward and they take up way too much mental space. They have this way of hijacking our lives, but they don't have to. What happens when you experience one of your fears? What happens when you're sideswiped and suddenly it's hard to keep your bearings, your composure, your forward momentum, and it's even hard to maybe keep your faith? Psalm 23 is one of the most universal known psalms. It's a very personal psalm and people relate. We see it, hear ourselves in the words. It's a prayer and it's ultimately a prescription for life. And as a church, we've been going through Psalm 23 verse by verse, and today we find ourselves right in the middle of the psalm, right in the spot no one ever wants to be, but life at one point or another is gonna take us there. Today we find ourselves in the valley when the thing you fear comes true. And in a moment I'm gonna read this psalm written by David, and this is actually his testimony. He has experienced God, he has heard his voice, followed his lead, felt his care, and you can almost hear his confidence in God. And so as I read it aloud, allow the words from King David to become words that speak over your life. Psalm 23, the Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right path for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. You're rod in your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, you anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Today we're gonna camp on verse four. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Some versions say, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. And maybe you're kind of like, what just happened? Like one minute we're in green pastures and the next we're in the darkest valley. And David understands something about the good shepherd that he leads us through some really great times and some really dark times. But no matter the times, he is still leading. And there's a transition in verse four. So in the first three verses, David refers to God in the third person, he makes me lie down, he leads me, he restores me. In verse four, David refers to God in second person, you are with me, your rod and your staff. They comfort me. Why does David switch from talking about God to talking to God? And why does it happen in verse four, why didn't he just say, even though I walked through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for he is with me. That would be in keeping in line with the rest of the psalm. But David hit a dark valley, a crisis point, the time when his greatest fear was realized. And it was at that moment something deep happened between him and God. We're more prone to talk about God when we are in the green pastures and more prone to talk to God when we're in the crisis, when we're in the dangerous ravine, the valley, one author said this, in the light, we are tempted to wander off in pursuit of greener grass, but in the dark we hug his knee. And maybe that's you today. You're clinging to the knee of the good shepherd. No one loves the valley. No one wants the valley. No one hopes for the valley, but high chance it's gonna come. And that's where fear thrives. See, today, I believe you're either coming out of a valley in the middle of one or at some point heading into one.'cause life is just like that. Throughout the Bible, valleys often represented seasons of trial, testing, humility and danger. But here's the thing, they are never void of God's presence or purpose. They show us that our lowest points can become turning points. They are places where battles are fought and where battles are won. They are the places where fruit grows and where God brings life. You see, valleys change us. They make us better. They draw us closer to God. But none of us want the valley. None of us like the valley and David learn something crucial in his valley. In fact, he had more than one valley. It was in the valley called Eila, where Goliath, the giant taunted the Israelites. And where David fought him, he experienced the valley of betrayal from his own son called Absalon, who led a coop to overthrow him as king. He lived with the valley of guilt after committing adultery with a woman called Bathsheba. He was tormented with the valley of grief when he lost multiple children. So when he writes, even though I walked through the darkest valley, he knew what he was talking about. This wasn't conceptual, this was actual. This was his life. And friends, this is our life to, I don't know what valley you may be in today, what fear you may be experiencing. It may be grief, it might be financial difficulties, it might be addictions. It could be relational tension, it could be anxiety related, work related, health related, parenting related, whatever your valley is, I want you to know that the good shepherd is still leading. I want you to note some things that David learned as described in the psalm. Things that I believe will help you in the valley. So David says, I walk through the valley, those words walk through are super important. I think most of us want to run through sprint through, or better yet, we want a golf cart or an Uber. We just want to avoid at times. We definitely don't want to walk through. But those words are critical because they illustrate that we keep going. We don't get stuck in the valley. We don't stop in the valley, we don't stay there. We don't camp in the valley. We walk through meaning it's a season. And this season, although hard is only a season, and some of you right now, you just need to hear this. Your valley is only a season. So walk on friend, walk on. Notice also that even though David is in the valley and he's addressing God, he's not asking for anything. He just affirms that the good shepherd is present and able to protect from all danger. Some theologians have said that without valleys we couldn't properly be sanctified. And that just means growing our relationship with Jesus and become more like him. It means that faith is like a muscle. It only grows when it is activated and put under duress. You know, one of the things I've noticed, when people are in the valleys, they can often ask this, did God cause this bad thing to happen in my life? Friends, listen, God doesn't cause evil to happen to you. It's outside of his very nature. He will, however, leverage when evil happens always for the greater good. God isn't punishing you for something you've done wrong, but God wants to use it as preparation for an even greater potential in your life. It's why Paul, a New Testament writer wrote these words, and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. Did you catch that? All things, not just the good things, all things. And so if God has led you to the valley, he'll be faithful to lead you through the valley. It's like this old song says, we used to sing it in church. He's the God of the mountaintops, but he's also the God of the valleys. And it's in the valley where God does something in us. That's why David was able to talk to him in first person. You God are all this to me. And many times for God to do something through us, he has to do something in us first. And notice that David calls it the darkest valley, meaning something extremely difficult, meaning the hardest moments in life, loss, illness, death and more. The darkest valley is when our existential fears become reality. And yet David says it's the darkest valley. But I'm not gonna fear. How can he say that? Because he beat Goliath and he knows that he's pretty tough. No, 'cause he's pretty brave. No, because he's king and he has an army to protect him. No, he can say that because of four words. You are with me. Four words in the middle of verse four to move you forward. O Old Testament scholars have pointed out that in the original Hebrew of Psalm 23, there are exactly 26 words before and after the phrase, you are with me suggesting that David intentionally put these words right in the middle of the Psalm, declaring that whatever is going on, God is present at the center of our lives. Whatever happens, God can transform every situation. And these words, they were the source of David's comfort when all his emotions wanted to scream in fear. You are with me. I mean the whole gospel message hinges on this. Jesus was called Emmanuel, which means God with us. The New Testament writer of Hebrews says, never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you in the valley. I don't have to fear. Why? Because you are with me. God is with me. The good shepherd is with me. And so whatever valley may come, whatever trial may ensue, whatever hardship may develop, whatever difficulty may arise, whatever tension may show up, friends, may you say those same four words, you are with me. And so hope city, I'm gonna ask you to speak that out loud with me right now. Are you ready? You are with me. Speak those words over your life. Speak them over your value. You know why? Because it's truth. God is with you. David continues your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Other than God's presence. David describes sources of his comfort, the rod and the staff of the good shepherd. Now the rod, it was a thick, heavy piece of wood around two feet long, sometimes with nails driven through the end of it. It was like a club, a very effective weapon to protect the sheep from wild animals and thieves. And so it was used for strength, for protection, authority, and control. It was also used when the shepherd needed to examine the sheep for sickness or ticks. He would use the raw to separate the wool. So in your valley, you can know that you have the strength and the protection of the good shepherd. You don't have to fear, you don't have to worry. He is present. He's looking out for you. The ultimate symbol of strength and protection is God's word. Scripture. Jesus illustrated this. He used scripture three times over when he was tempted by Satan in the wilderness to give him protection. And our source of strength and protection is found in his word as well, meaning what He says to you and about, you can comfort you in the valley. Listen, his word says, peace. I leave with you. My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. His word says, come to me all who are weary and burden, and I will give you rest. His word says, in this world you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world. His word says, Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup. You make my lot secure. His word comforts us. It provides us with protection in the valley. The staff. It's a symbol of the good shepherd's guidance and loving kindness. It was how sheep would be gently moved to get them where they needed to go. Now sheep, most of us know are notorious wanderers. And once away from the shepherd's, watchful eye, they get into all kinds of trouble. And the shepherd would use his staff to keep sheep outta danger and really just close to himself. If a sheep became trapped in a, in a precarious situation, the shepherd would loop the curve end of the staff around the neck of the sheep and retrieve it back to safety. And that's the picture for you and me. The good shepherd will guide you and keep watch over you in the valley. He will get you where you need to go. And if you get stuck, he will come and pull you out of the weeds. You can depend on that and you can trust on that. Jesus, our good shepherd, he actually said it this way. Look at the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or store away in barns. And yet our heavenly Father feeds them. Here it is. Are you not much more valuable than they? He cares for you. He wants to pull you out of the mess, out of the heartbreak, out of the despair, out of the hurt. And so in the valley, remember, you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me. And I said this earlier, I believe you're either coming out of a valley in the middle of one or headed into one. That's pretty much life for all of us. But I want you to hear from one of our pastors who experienced a dark valley in her life and how the words of this psalm became a bedrock for her. And I'm gonna ask Pastor Katie to join me on stage. Why don't you just give it up for her this morning. Hi. Well, tell us a little bit about yourself, pastor Katie.- So my name is Katie and I'm a mom of two boys and I'm a wife to David. And I have the privilege of being a pastor here at Hope City. And I just love hearing your stories and walking with you.- Awesome. Why don't you explain a little bit of the dark valley that you walked through?- Uh, I was born into a family that, uh, was new Christians and so there was an excitement about following Christ. Uh, but about the age of 12, uh, began to be emotionally abused outside of the home. And that grew into sexual exploitation that didn't end until I was 16.- Right.- Um, and I was terrified Yeah. In that season. And, um, Just so much shame and pain that I believed that I had to carry alone. Hmm. I thought that I must somehow have caused that situation for myself. And so I believed it was up to me to fix it. Right. But I wouldn't say that that was the darkest valley. I would say that it was dark, but the hardest part came about 10 years later when all of my own efforts to manage that pain just failed. And I was burnt out. Uh, I was face to face with my own brokenness. Um, and I was just so exhausted trying to outrun that fear and that shame. Right.- So you actually ran to the other end of the world essentially,- Right? I actually, yeah. What did you do there? I left to Canada and I went, uh, to live in Korea and I was there for about five years and that's where I kind of entered that season of burnout. And when I returned back here, I had no career direction. I had no community outside of my family. Um, and I just had no sense of purpose. And I, I felt like I was so stuck emotionally. Yeah. Um, I, I tried to take it day by day, but I didn't know what to hold onto. And I felt like I was sliding around in a deep pit and I guess just surrounded by, um, that shame and that defilement that I believed was sourced in myself. And the only thing in that season that I know is I could hear God saying, just be still and know that I'm God. Mm-hmm.- So interesting. You had your faith. You didn't let go of your faith, but how did you see glimpses of God's protection and guidance through the heart season as well as moving forward?- I didn't see it clearly in that season. Right, for sure. But looking back, I I realized that every time I tried to force my way forward or change, uh, where I was at, I lost whatever peace that I did have. And it, it felt like God was just hemming me in, uh, not to punish me, but to protect me from skipping over that deep work that needed to to happen. Uh, an encounter between, uh, me and him. He really wanted to hold me tight, I think, uh, just to make sure that I faced what I was running from. Right.- Was there a particular scripture in that season that you held onto and which one and why?- Uh, probably one. There were many because I, I felt like I was like time was stopped and I was so stuck. So I used to, uh, make index cards and I would just write a scripture that spoke to me or an encouraging word and I would date it and I would stick it beside my bed to make a timeline to kind of remind me, uh, that I wasn't as stuck as it felt. But yeah. Hebrews 13, the one you shared today. Yeah. Just God's promise. Never will I leave you and never will I forsake you. Um, and that's why we can say with confidence, the Lord is my helper. I will not be afraid. But I would say I was holding onto it. My head believed it, but at that point, my heart. Right. Wasn't sure.- So what was the key to healing for you or you know, moving out of this dark valley?- Uh, there were many steps and it was a long, yeah, it was a long journey. Uh, but one really significant encounter, uh, was that happened for me in prayer. Um, I was in this, I don't know how to explain it too well, but I was in this cycle of I must be stuck because of me. Um, and so every time that I wanted to connect with God, I would start there and I'd hit my knees and I'd say all the reasons why I thought I was the problem. Right. And apologizing, letting him know that I saw how awful I was. And, uh, I was in that again and, and reaching out to God and it was like Jesus stood right in front of me and he reached and he took the tar that was covered on me and he just put it on him. And he said to me, I will do this every time. He said, but I'm not the one that is putting this on you.- It's- Powerful. Yeah. I think for me, I didn't know if God would stay, but he met me in the middle of that pit and he showed me that, um, he was with me there and so I felt like I could trust him Right. To leave me out and, and he did.- Wow. What would you say to anyone today who's walking through a valley or maybe feeling like they can't keep on walking? Uh,- Yeah. I would say if you are in a season that's a valley or a low, it's so common for us to think that something's wrong and we have to get out of it. We have to fix it, we have to fix us, fix what's in us, the list goes on. But in my journey, I see that these are opportunities for us to lay down our self dependence and actually make an exchange to trust God in a deeper way than we ever have before. It's an opportunity for him to prove his faithfulness. Yeah. In our lives. He wants to meet us there, he wants to meet you there and he wants to show you, uh, that he's bigger than all of those obstacles that you're facing. Um, for me, looking back at my season, this chapter has become one of the most cherished parts of my journey. Wow. Because I was so lost and stuck and yet God met me and carried me through.- I know there's a psalm that was pretty meaningful for you through this season. Do you wanna share it with us?- Yeah, I think for me, uh, it summarizes my journey. And I want to share with you in Psalm 40, it's the blueprint of God's faithfulness. And the process goes like this. It says that he lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud admirer. He set my feet upon a rock. He gave me a firm place to stand. It says that he gave me a new song to sing, a hymn, a praise to our God. And he's been faithful in my life and he will be faithful in yours. So just bless you with Psalm 40.- Thank you, Katie, appreciate you sharing that. Give it up for her. No, I love seeing what God has done in her life and just to see the calling of God on her life and how he's using her. But you know what that says, friends. It says that there is always hope. Whatever valley you're in today, whatever you're facing, whatever dark world, may you take comfort knowing that God's word never fails. That he is the same yesterday, today, and forever. That he draws near to the broken hearted, that he can restore you. That his protection is over your life, that he will lovingly guide you through to your next. That this is not the end, it's just a season. And so friend, keep on walking, keep on walking. The good shepherd will see you through the Good Shepherd is your guide. And so may you take comfort today knowing these four words. He is with you. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me. I'm gonna ask you to stand if you are able to. I wanna pray for you in closing. God, I just come before you right now. And I thank you for these words of hope, these words of encouragement that were penned by David so long ago. I thank you for the life that you brought to Pastor Katie in the midst of her dark valley. And so I pray for those in the valley today. I pray that you remind them that you are present, you are with them, and you will carry them through. I pray that they do not give up hope. That they do not fear, that they do not stay stuck, but they move forward. They walk through the valley because you, the good shepherd are leading them. I pray that they know that you are there to protect them, to guide them, to comfort them. I pray that they may depend upon you. And so right now I ask that in the valley, they put their eyes on you, they put their perspective on you, they put their hope on you. They understand you are with me. And those four words change everything. And so God, speak life, speak hope, speak truth, speak confidence into every heart, into every mind. And I pray this in your powerful name. May they know that you haven't left them. You know, maybe you're joining us this morning here at Millwoods campus, at another campus online, and you don't know Jesus personally. Maybe you came to church'cause mom wanted you to. And I wanna say a way to go, thanks for doing that. But Jesus died for you. He rose and he offers life both now and forever. And the best decision of our life is to choose to follow Jesus. And if you're saying today, I wanna align my life with his, I'm gonna pray a prayer that helps you put into words the beginning of following Jesus. And I'm gonna ask you to pray along with me. So let's pray. Jesus today I see my need for you. And I thank you for going to the cross. I thank you for dying, for my sins, for rising and our for me life and hope both now and forever. And so today I believe in who you are. I put my faith in you. I put my trust in you. Help me to make you Lord and leader of my life and from this day forward follow you. And so I just give you all that I am. Help me to understand what it means to have the good shepherd guiding my life. And Lord, I pray over every individual, every couple, every family, and specifically all the moms. I ask that as they go into this week, may they sense your grace, your kindness, your goodness, and your nearness. I pray holy Spirit, that you just continue to empower and equip them for all that life holds. But may they walk outta here being reminded and being encouraged. You are with me. May they know that beyond a shadow of a doubt. And I thank you for the truth of those words in that psalm. And I pray this all in your powerful name. Jesus. Amen. Amen. You know, if you prayed that prayer of surrendering your life to Christ today, can I ask you to scan the QR code that's on the screen? We'd love to get a digital booklet inside of your hands. It's also on the seat backs in front of you. It's just a way of helping you understand what it, what it means to know and follow Jesus. And it's also our way as a big church to try to get to know you personally. If you want prayer over anything in your life, we're gonna have a prayer team available down at your front, left after the service they would love to pray over and for you. Now ladies, I want to see this, say this on your way out, all of you are gonna receive a carnation today. Just our way of blessing you and saying We love you to all of you, thank you for coming to church today. Know that I love you lots and I'm cheering you on. God bless you guys.