Psalm 26:2 – Before God Uses You Publicly
Before I begin, let me offer the same gentle reminder I share with all of these dream reflections: I’m not a theologian, prophet, or dream expert. I’m simply a wife, mom, author, and follower of Jesus who tries to pay attention when God stirs something in my spirit. These reflections are my personal interpretations, filtered through prayer, Scripture, and a desire to draw closer to Him.
💤 The Dream
This dream was different.
There were no strange symbols.
No mysterious names.
No animals.
No villages.
Just a Bible verse.
Psalm 26:2.
When I woke up, the verse was sitting clearly in my mind:
"Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind."
I opened my Bible and read it again.
Then I sat quietly.
Because unlike many of the dreams I've shared, this one didn't seem to be about something happening around me.
It felt like it was about something happening inside me.
🔍 Looking Back
As I've reflected on this dream, I've started to see a pattern in all the dreams that came before it.
There was Noah.
There was David.
There was Daniel.
There was the dream about signal boosting and amplifying a message.
At first, I thought the common theme was leadership.
Or courage.
Or calling.
But now I think I missed something important.
Before Noah built the ark publicly, he walked with God privately.
Before David faced Goliath publicly, he faced lions and bears privately.
Before Daniel interpreted dreams publicly, he prayed faithfully behind closed doors.
God seems far more interested in what happens in secret than what happens on a stage.
And if I'm honest, that's not always what I want to hear.
💡 What God Showed Me
This verse made me uncomfortable.
Not because it was difficult to understand.
Because it was impossible to avoid.
I've spent years building things.
A career.
Books.
A podcast.
A website.
A ministry.
A family.
And while none of those things are wrong, I realized something while praying through this dream:
It's possible to spend so much time building things for God that you forget to let Him keep building you.
The Lord began showing me places where I still need His correction.
Not public correction.
Private correction.
The kind nobody sees.
The places where I want control.
The places where I worry.
The places where I care too much about outcomes.
The places where I want certainty before obedience.
The places where I still struggle to fully trust Him.
Most people would never know those struggles exist.
They see the books.
They see the podcast.
They see the social media posts.
They see the smiling family photos.
But God sees what lives underneath all of that.
And He loves me enough to address it.
Not because He's disappointed.
Because He's preparing me.
🌱 The Lesson of Noah, David, and Daniel
As I looked back at the dreams, I realized God wasn't showing me famous Bible heroes because He wanted me to focus on their accomplishments.
He was showing me their preparation.
Noah learned obedience before he built.
David learned trust before he fought.
Daniel learned faithfulness before he influenced kings.
God corrected them in private before He used them in public.
And maybe that's the lesson I've been missing.
We live in a world that celebrates platforms.
God celebrates character.
We celebrate visibility.
God celebrates faithfulness.
We focus on what people can see.
God focuses on what only He can see.
🕊️ The Invitation
I don't think Psalm 26:2 is a scary prayer.
I think it's a beautiful one.
Because it assumes something wonderful about God.
It assumes that when He examines us, He does so as a loving Father.
Not looking for reasons to reject us.
Looking for opportunities to heal us.
To free us.
To strengthen us.
To prepare us.
The older I get, the more I realize that God's correction is one of the greatest expressions of His love.
He's never embarrassed me.
He's never shamed me.
He's simply loved me too much to leave me unchanged.
🙏 Reflection Questions
Am I asking God to use me more than I'm asking Him to transform me?
What private corrections might God be inviting me into?
Where am I holding onto control instead of trust?
Do I value character as much as I value impact?
💛 Closing
When I first started writing about these dreams, I thought they were about symbols.
Now I think they were about surrender.
The scallions.
The veil.
David.
Daniel.
Noah.
The signal.
The fog.
Every dream seems to lead back to the same place.
A simple prayer from David:
"Test me, Lord, and try me. Examine my heart and my mind."
Because before God amplifies a message, He refines the messenger.
Before He builds the ministry, He shapes the heart.
Before He uses us publicly, He lovingly corrects us privately.
And honestly?
I'm grateful He does.
Because the greatest thing God could do for me isn't make me more successful.
It's make me more like Jesus.
