In 2019, I plunged into a grief and depression unlike anything my soul had ever known. It was deep and heart wrenching. The despair tore me up inside and I questioned my identity, my purpose, and even questioned God. Most days my eyes were brimmed with tears and my heart was restless for a new day. I craved something from the Lord I couldn’t quite conceptualize. I had reached a fork in the road, a point of decision. And what I chose broke my heart, but I knew that is where God was leading me. I had just graduated with my Master’s in Christian Counseling and become licensed. Accomplishing this had been my dream for as long as I could remember. This should have been one of the most joyous times, but instead it was one of the darkest seasons of my life. I chose to walk away. It would have been so easy to finally make the transition full time, but God said no. In exchange, He promised me blessings beyond my wildest dreams. I had a yearning for the new that I couldn’t quite quench.

“See! I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

Isaiah 43:19a NIV

During these moments of despair, I grounded myself with the truth I had heard from Ali at the very first Arise in September 2018, the concept of the divine exchange. Some extremely supernatural things happened that first Arise but I distinctly remember her delivering a message from the Lord stating, “You need to tell my daughters, it is time for a divine exchange.” A divine exchange is one in which we relinquish something to God with the promise that He will give us something far more beautiful in return.

“To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise, instead of a spirit of despair…instead of their shame, my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.”
Isaiah 61:2-3a;7 NIV

Sometimes giving up things for God’s way hurts. But the divine exchange never results in a lesser trade. When it’s a divine exchange, you can bet the return on your investment is going to be radical. It isn’t an even exchange, it’s a double portion. When we give something up in His name, He promises abundance. When I was plagued with grief, His promise of hope became my strength. When God gifts us with a promise, we have to have the eyes to see what hasn’t yet happened and the courage to believe and trust Him. We have the choice to believe without evidence. In light of the eternal gift God had in store for me, my pain was temporary. That’s a promise.

“Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
Psalm 30:5b

Four years later, I am finally seeing the springing up, the new, the joy, the promise. As we speak, I am living in my miracle, the miracle of the divine exchange.

Do you believe in the divine exchange?

Can you perceive the new? What is holding you back from believing that something new is springing up? Are you chained to the hope you left in the past? Maybe it is time to pick up your hope and keep moving forward. Sister I’ve been there, and now I want to equip you with tools to not only survive this season, but to thrive! This is not a shaming. This is a time for pure and brutal honesty with the Father.

Consider these questions:

 1) Do I believe and trust God?

2) What do I know to be true?

3) How can I steward small steps of obedience?

In Scripture when God provides, He doesn’t provide just enough, He supplies a bounty, an overflowing table. So, wouldn’t that divine exchange be plentiful? My pain in exchange for His abundance. We can’t miss this- but we also can’t skim past the role of obedience- our obedience. This requires us saying no to good things so we can receive God’s bounty.

“And they spoke against God saying, can God spread a table in the desert?”

Psalm 78:19 NIV

When we find ourselves in the wilderness, it can be easy to have this same thought. But when a table shows up in Scripture, sis, you better believe it is filled to overflowing!

“But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Psalm 81:16 NIV

If He fed the whining Israelites with honey from the rock, manna from heaven, and food a plenty, how can we truly believe that God scrapes the barrel to feed us? Sister, the barrel is overflowing with bounty for you! You just have to be faithful in waiting for the right barrel. Not every barrel is for you. The season of preparation is the most salient of all. The ground has to rest. The harvest isn’t ready. It’s a painful and trying time, yes. But promises of abundance take time to spring up.  

The divine exchange isn’t just a nice thought, it isn’t just a sweet sentiment. It is a promise, found in Scripture. But, it’s a conditional promise, reliant on our obedience- on our faith to believe when evidence to the contrary surrounds us- when people and their opinions are steering us in the wrong direction. The divine exchange requires the art of giving up. It’s a harsh truth, but this reality breeds freedom. Ladies, can you perceive the new? Do you need the faith to see without evidence? A promise long planted is springing up.

Do you perceive it?

- Kierstin Almstrum, ARISE Director of Online Operations and Project Management