He’s Always There

One of my favorite authors and Bible teachers is Tony Evans. He said this: “You may not see Jesus in the middle of your trials, but He sees you. Hang in there.”

We’ve all found ourselves in a dilemma that seemed impossible to escape. We can see no way out of the confusion, the pain, the heartache. The “why” question goes unanswered. We call out to Jesus but we don’t hear Him speak into our wounded places. We look for Him in every detail of the situation, but we cannot see Him there. What does that mean?

It means that it’s time to put our faith into practice. It’s easy to believe the words of God when everything in our lives is looking like roses. Strangely, a weakening of trust comes into play when the thorns begin to appear. It’s at such moments that we have a vital choice to make: we may accuse God of abandoning us and plod on in our misery or we may declare that we know He is there. We choose to believe that He is working something out for our good. We know that in God’s perfect timing, He will reveal purpose out of all that is taking place in our lives. It’s a choice. In my own experience, the latter has always proved most satisfying, for when I call out my trust to Him, inner upheaval changes to an awareness of peace. It’s all a choice.

Remember the story of Job in the Old Testament? There he was living the best he could to honor God. He was blessed with a large family and with financial gain and with good health. Then, in the midst of his roses, the sharp, cruel thorns of devastation pierced his world of tranquility. His health deteriorated. Horrific weather killed his children. Did he grieve? Deeply. What didn’t he do? Job 1:22 tells us, “In all this, Job did not sin by blaming God.” In other words, in the midst of his deepest trials, he made his choice. He could not see God but He chose to believe that He was there, working the outcome to his good. Read the story to see the goodness that God prepared for him. Job only received the great blessings that were to come because of his choice to trust God even in life’s blinding storms.

Remember, God has never let anyone down; He’s not going to start with you. Don’t blame God in the midst of pain; reach out and hold on to Him. He is always there.