MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU. MAY THE LORD SMILE ON YOU AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU. May THE LORD SHOW HIS FAVOR AND GIVE YOU HIS PEACE. NUMBERS 6: 24-26.
As I type this early Friday AM, I am reminded of the My Utmost For His Highest readings earlier this week on May 14 & 15, titled ”The Habit of Enjoying Adversity,” & “The Habit of Arising to the Occasion.” Both are priceless in their under-girding of we more fully understanding and appreciating being Blessed by the Most High on so many fronts.(MLE)
Nancy Guthrie: On the card we sent out to let people know we were expecting Gabe, we wrote: ”We are convinced this child is meant to be a blessing. But we have not known until now if this blessing will come in the form of a healthy child, like Matt, or a child with Zellweger Syndrome, like Hope.” The most amazing response we received to our card came from David Van Biema, the religion writer for Time magazine, whom I had worked with on a couple of stories. He was moved and mystified by our response to the news we received and, along with his personal remarks, asked if he could do a story on us for Time.
During the four days David spent with us in Nashville, David listened to us and understood us. And even though he does not share our faith, he shared our sorrow. A couple of months later, on the day Gabriel was born, his story appeared in the Time, entitled, “When God Hides His Face: Can Faith Survive When Hope Has Died? The Guthries Think So.” We loved the story and were amazed and pleased with how David handled the complexity of the issues and conveyed our thoughts and feelings. The story was sensitive and intelligent and provocative.
But I must admit I never loved the title of the story. It’s not the notion of God hiding his face is not biblical. In Job 34, Job’s friend Elihu asks about God, Yes, He hears the cries of the needy. But when He hides His face, who can find Him?” (verses 28-29). The truth is, I have never felt that God has hidden His face from me in my suffering. In fact, the opposite is true. This is where I’ve seen Him more clearly than ever. In the intensity of my questions and the desperation of my needs, God has revealed himself to me like never before. This is what it means to be blessed – not that God never allows anything hard to happen, but that He reveals Himself in it, He shows you His favor, He gives you His peace.
Have you ever felt that God has hidden His face from you in the darkness of your suffering? He’s not hiding. In fact, He wants to reveal aspects of his character and compassion to you in this dark place as He never has before. He wants to make His face shine on you. Will you look up and see His face? He wants to bless you and be gracious to you.
PRAYER: Bless me, Lord, and protect me. Smile on me and give me your grace. Show me your favor and give me your peace.
DIGGING DEEPER: Read Genesis 32: 30; Judges 6:13-24; Matthew 17:2; I Peter 3:12; I John 4: 17; and Revelation 22:4. Note how God turned His face toward people in trouble in these passages.
NEXT UP: How’s Your Heart. Back to Chuck Swindoll tomorrow. From Great Days with the Great Lives. Pg 102.