Break Out – Day 13

One day I spoke to a lady who, through her tears, confessed to me that after experiencing trauma, she had lost her faith in God. Maybe you feel the same? Has a disappointment, loss or pain you may have experienced in your life caused you to struggle to see God’s goodness?

I heard a story of a father who woke up early one morning, after the smoke detector alarm from the basement of their house went off. He immediately woke up his wife and ran to their children’s rooms to wake them up. As the father carried his one-and-a-half-year-old daughter and held his four-year-old boy by his hand, leading them out of the house, the smoke in the house become thicker.

At one stage, the boy broke loose and ran ahead. The father assumed that he had run outside. What they did not realise, was that the boy had ran to his room, hiding amongst his toys, thinking it was safe.

When the father was outside, he realised that the boy was not there. He looked up and saw the little boy’s head peeking from his room on the first floor, while the boy shouted for help at the top of his voice. The father immediately went to stand below the window and shouted to the boy to jump out. The worried boy replied: “But dad, I cannot see you!” The father said: “Don’t worry, I can see you!” The boy jumped in faith and landed safely in his father’s arms.

When we experience challenging situations in our lives, we too can start to feel like the boy trapped in a burning house, struggling to see God through the smoke around us. The truth, however, is that our Father’s eyes are constantly on us, looking for ways to keep us safe. In Psalm 33:13-14 the psalmist wrote: “The LORD looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. From his throne, he observes all who live on the earth.” And in 2 Chronicles 16:9 we read: “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”

In the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam” also demonstrates to us that God’s hand is always stretched out in our direction. All we need to do to experience his power and goodness, is to touch it. No wonder we read in James 4:8: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

When doubt, bitterness or sadness threatens to overwhelm you again, remind yourself that God, like the father next to the burning house, stands ready with open arms to catch you (although you cannot see him). Reach out and touch his hand. It might just change your life. Remember, the Creator of the universe stays true to his Word and if he says that those who seek him will find him, that is exactly what will happen. God bless.