The Gift Revealed in the Dark
The Gift Isn’t The Point – Blog Series Part 4
There’s something I’ve learned about God over the years…
He often reveals gifts in unexpected places.
Not on our strongest days.
Not when we feel the most confident.
Not when everything finally feels “put together.”
Very often…
He reveals them in the dark.
Just one week before I discovered the gift of playing the piano — a gift that came out of nowhere, one I didn’t pursue, plan for, or practice — I walked through one of the darkest emotional weeks of my life.
It wasn’t dramatic on the outside… but it was heavy on the inside.
Joy felt distant.
Purpose felt blurry.
Hope felt quiet.
At the time, I didn’t connect the two.
But now, looking back, I see it clearly.
Right before God reveals something significant… the enemy often intensifies the fight.
Scripture tells us the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy.
And if he can’t take your salvation… he’ll try to steal your identity.
If he can’t kill your faith… he’ll try to kill your hope.
If he can’t destroy your calling… he’ll try to destroy your awareness of it.
That dark week wasn’t random.
The enemy wasn’t fighting where I was… he was fighting where I was going.
Because just seven days later, something shifted.
The Holy Spirit awakened a gift inside me that I didn’t even know existed.
No lessons.
No teacher.
No preparation.
Just suddenly… music.
And I remember thinking, Where did this come from?
It came from the same God who formed me.
The same God who wired my heart for music.
The same God who knew exactly how to reach me.
And here’s what I want you to hear carefully…
That dark week didn’t disqualify me.
It revealed the value of what God was about to release.
Depression doesn’t disqualify you.
Doubt doesn’t disqualify you.
Struggle doesn’t disqualify you.
The enemy would love for you to believe that your lowest moments cancel out your purpose.
But Scripture tells a different story.
Joseph was thrown into a pit before he ever stepped into the palace.
David hid in caves before he wore a crown.
Jesus was led into the wilderness before He began His public ministry.
The pattern is clear.
The attack comes before the assignment.
And sometimes what we call a breaking point is actually a revealing point.
God doesn’t reveal gifts to impress us. He reveals them to draw us closer.
That piano wasn’t just a skill. It was an invitation.
An invitation into intimacy.
An invitation into trust.
An invitation into obedience.
And yes… God used it to encourage others. To build up the body. To glorify Himself.
But the gift was never about the platform.
It was about connection.
And sometimes, after revealing a gift, God will gently say something else we don’t talk about enough…
“Pause.”
Not because the gift was wrong.
Not because you failed.
Not because the season was wasted.
But because He is doing something deeper.
Pausing doesn’t mean the gift is gone.
It means God is teaching you how to carry it without letting it carry you.
A pause is often preparation.
He’s resetting the rhythm.
Refilling the vessel.
Reordering priorities.
Deepening roots.
So if you’re walking through a dark season right now… if things feel heavier than usual… if joy feels harder to reach…
Hear this clearly:
You are not being punished.
You may be on the brink of revelation.
And if God has asked you to pause… don’t assume it’s an ending.
It may be an invitation to trust Him at a deeper level than before.
Because the gifts of God are often revealed right where we thought we were falling apart.
And when the Giver is your focus… every gift — revealed, paused, or flowing — will always find its proper place.
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