Some wise person once said of the LORD, “When you cannot see His hand, trust His heart.”
I have thought about that so much recently. I have gone back to the Old Testament and read stories of God’s courageous people who faced unfathomable circumstances which would certainly have caused me to throw in the towel and say, “Thanks, but no thanks, Lord!”
I have recalled stories of missionaries and ordinary people just like us who have stood firm in their faith and never waivered in God’s faithfulness…
…even when they could not see His hand.
Even when they felt like God was silent when they really needed Him to speak, to lead, to guide, and to light their path on the dark road.
Even when they felt like the Almighty Father had forsaken them in their time of need.
I read the account of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt with a certain amount of envy. How very present the Father was with His people. How gracious He was to show Himself and His perfect will in such tangible ways. Some days I long for that cloud during the day and the glorious pillar of fire by night.
His tangible presence.
His grace and mercy poured out for His chosen people in such awe-inspiring ways.
And here I sit at His feet and my weary heart longs for the same.
His presence.
His glory in my life.
To reach and touch the hem of His garment.
Just one touch.
And to know His will.
His perfect and pleasing will made so crystal clear.
The precious blessing of knowing that He is near…
…even when we cannot see His hand.
“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.” ~~ Psalm 40:1
Recently I have failed too many times to count at that waiting patiently thing. I long for the cloud NOW! I cry out for the pillar of fire NOW!
“Show me, Lord!”
The much-needed answer from heaven that would make all things right.
But God is silent.
The answer doesn’t come. Yet.
And so we press in with all of our might—trusting that He who raises the dead is more than able.
And still, we cannot see His hand through the fog before our eyes.
But deep down, we know.
We really do know.
His heart.
His tender heart that is for us. His heart that loves each one of us with a love that we cannot fathom. His heart that makes us run to Him crying, “Abba! Father! Daddy!”
We dig a little deeper—learning what it truly means to trust His heart in this valley.
Just as Job did.
And Habakkuk too.
“Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls…” ~~ Hab 3:15
I love the second part of his cry. It’s a declaration that even though life is uncertain and calamity will surely come knocking at our doors…yet….
“Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.” ~~ Hab 3:18
YET…I will rejoice.
Such a beautiful reminder to me today.
A reminder that praising the God who gives and takes away should always come before my doubts, my concerns, my fears, my desires, my heartaches and my flesh that longs for answers from heaven. When we put on that garment of praise (and rejoicing!), the things of the world really do grow strangely dim.
“The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights” ~~ Hab 3:19
If you too are praying for answers from heaven. If you’re trusting God to make a way for you, to part the Red Sea before you in whatever it may be…
I’m praying for you today.
Remember…
You CAN trust His heart.
“But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” ~~ Romans 8:25
