Every Thursday I feature a “throwback” post from my blog archive. The goal is to look back and discover new lessons or opportunities to grow. This week, we’ll look at “The Depths” You can view the original post here. For today, here’s a quick recap and a few more thoughts about the things we bring to God.

In the original post, which I highly recommend taking a look at, I recall when the words of Psalm 103 hit me like a ton of bricks. In this Psalm, the author, David encourages us, his future readers, to praise the Lord from our innermost being. As I read this passage, I began to say to myself, praise God “from the depths of who I am.” When I think of places that I would describe as “the depths,” I think of the dark scary places where no one dares to venture.

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I think most people would either agree with this statement or at least understand why I would equate “the depths” in such a way. My latest video game obsession, “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,” seems to agree my interpretation. To make a long and pretty nerdy story short, there is a large portion of the map called “The Depths.” In this area, you are way more likely to die, way less likely to find friends and allies, and in most moments, completely surrounded by total darkness to the point that you cannot see what the next step has lying in wait.

In the same way, when I think of the depths of my soul, this is the picture that comes to mind. For me, the depths are the parts of my life that I struggle to share with others. They are the parts of me that are embarrassing, shameful, or hurtful. They are the parts of me that I am not proud of and they are the thoughts that I never want to share out loud. If you’re judging me, stop it. You have them too! We all do.

The encouraging thing in all of this is that Scripture confirms that God wants those parts of us too. And while we may have people in our lives who reject us because of our faults, God never will. We may have people who walk away or even find joy when we stumble and fall, but God will lift us up. In my video game, there are multiple ways to bring light to the depths and find the treasures that are hidden in the darkness. And that is the promise that God offers when we bring our darkest moments to Him. He promises that He will bring light to that darkness and help us find the treasures hidden within. Don’t be afraid to share the darkest parts of yourself with Him. He is faithful to bring healing, restoration, comfort, and purpose to all things, including our shortcomings and failures.

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The apostle Paul knew this all too well. He states:

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. (1 Tim. 1:12-16 NIV)

What area of your life do you need to bring to God so that he can bring restoration and redemption? What are you holding back from Him that needs to be brought into the light? Share it with Him. Let Him show you the heights, depths, length, and width of His love, grace, and mercy. Praise Him from the very depths of who you are.