One of the hardest and scariest things we can learn is how to swim, especially when we find ourselves in uncharted waters. When we end up in the deep end, where we cannot touch the bottom, grab the sides, or even see the shoreline, it can leave us feeling helpless, afraid, and completely out of control.

Psalm 107:24 says, “They saw the works of the Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep.”

There is something powerful about that verse. It reminds us that some of the greatest works of God are not always seen in the shallow places. Sometimes His wonders are revealed in the deep, in the places where we cannot stand on our own, where our strength runs out, and where we have no choice but to depend completely on Him.

Being in the deep end can feel like looking at a situation and having no idea how it could possibly turn out for good, much less for something great. It can be terrifying to trust God when you cannot see the bottom beneath you or the shoreline ahead of you. Yet these are the moments when we must remember that we are not alone. The Lord’s best is far greater than our best. If He has allowed us to be in this place, then His mercy, grace, and presence have already gone before us. His Spirit can make a way where there seems to be no way, and His faithfulness will carry us through what we could never survive in our own strength.

These are promises we must never forget.

When we feel powerless, like we are drowning, treading water, or too exhausted to keep swimming, we must trust that Jesus is near. He is our strong Deliverer, our Defender, and our ever-present help in trouble. All we have to do is reach out and take hold of His hand.

Isaiah 41:13 says, “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

Those are the Lord’s words, straight from His heart to ours. Yet if we are honest, it can still be difficult to trust someone we have not yet seen move personally in the situation we are facing. Faith becomes real when the waters are deep and we have to believe He is holding us, even when we cannot feel the bottom beneath our feet.

As a parent with a child in the NICU fighting for her life, I understand what it feels like to be powerless. I cannot make her better. I cannot fix everything. I cannot take her place. That helplessness can feel like drowning, and the guilt that comes with it can be overwhelming.

A few days ago, we had to make some crucial decisions regarding painful diagnostic tests for our four-day-old daughter. At that moment, we were broken. We were afraid. We were exhausted. And through tears, we began to pray.

“Jesus, this is Your child. She was bought with a price. She is fearfully and wonderfully made. Her name is written on the palm of Your hand. You knit her together in her mother’s womb. I ask You right now to breathe the breath of God into her and fill her with Your Spirit. I dedicate her life to You. I plead the precious blood of Jesus over her. And I promise You, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

I know God can do more than I could ever ask, think, or imagine, because I have seen Him make a way when there was no way. I have seen Him work in ways I could not understand at the time. I have watched Him move behind the scenes when I had no idea what He was doing. And I have come to this conclusion with all my heart: with God, all things are possible.

Since the moment we found out we were having a baby, I have been keeping a journal and tracking her development. Each week, I would pray over the organs, systems, and functions that were being miraculously formed inside her mother’s womb. Because of that, I feel deeply connected to our precious daughter. I have prayed over her heart, her lungs, her brain, her hands, her feet, and every part of her little body. I know firsthand that there is power in prayer.

Even now, while she is in the NICU, I believe God is restoring, strengthening, and healing my little princess. I believe her life will be a testimony of His goodness, grace, mercy, and power.

A major part of walking through the deep is learning to give praise where praise is due. It is also learning to help others who are walking through similar waters. There is purpose in your pain when you allow God to use what you have endured to encourage someone else. There is healing that happens when you stand in the gap for someone who is facing what you once faced, or what you are still facing.

Take a step of faith today. Believe God for the miracle. Reach for the hand of Jesus. Stand in the gap for someone else. Pray with them. Encourage them. Remind them they are not alone.

And never forget this: we are not the answer, but we serve the One who is.

To Him be the glory, now and forever. Amen.