Hope

God Knew

We aren’t sure how we got there; we don’t know how we will get out or how long we must keep wandering through it.In the deepest valleys even those closest to us may be unable to help.

Their encouragement and exhortation may be well-intentioned but it may seem to fall on deaf ears. They want to help. And they may even attempt to do so. But ultimately the pain and the suffering resounds in our heads. The echo of the hurt can drown out the voice of perspective.

And yet even in these moments, even when the path back to the mountain seems obscured, two tiny words should comfort our hearts – God knew.

God knew. The valley we walk through was not unforeseen. He knew it was there and He knew you would walk through it.

God knew. The ache in your heart was not unanticipated. He prepared for its eventual healing before the first sting of pain pierced your soul.

God knew. He knew what you would need and who could provide it and even though the good intentions of your friends may seem ineffective, He knew how He would work through them to accomplish His purposes.

He knew when the Israelites were captives in Egypt and He knew the injustices they would face. And He not only knows what is happening in your life, before you did, He knew.

And whatever path He will use to provide restoration and rescue, He knew that too.

And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.  God saw the people of Israel—and God knew. – Exodus 2:24-25 (ESV)

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Hope

Repeated Kindness

A work promotion that we deserved that went to someone else.

A speeding ticket that we were awarded as another car zoomed by.

Sickness.

Hardship.

Challenges.

Unfair.

It seems it is easy to list the things that are wrong with our lives. Perceived injustices or realized slights are often the first things that we discuss after our perfunctory “hellos” and “how are you doing?”.

Yet this list is incomplete. Because from my own experience, and from what I witness in Scripture, although things may seem to go from bad to worse during difficult seasons of our lives, there is often another side to the story. At the same time that we are quick to list what is wrong, we often neglect to look at what is right. Our focus is on how bad things are, so we are prone to miss that which is good.

Lot could attest to this. Living in a city bound for destruction, God provided him a way out. Then, as Lot lingered, the angels of the Lord dragged him to safety. Finally, when given the instructions of where he should flee, instead of going there immediately, Lot brazenly asked for a modification. The Lord relented and granted his request (Gen. 19).

Repeated kindness. Thoughtful compassion. In the midst of chaos and ruin, God’s mercy flowed.

Yet my guess is that when Lot told the story he focused on his sinful neighbors and the home he lost. The fact that his wife turned into a pillar of salt probably eclipsed the recounting of God’s favor over him and his family. Even when we share the account with our children the theme tends to be destruction rather than benevolence.

But it is there. Over and and over again. In varied and individualized ways, we see God’s love and grace.

When we share our story, or go through our difficult season, may we be quick to see God’s recurrent kindness. May we be eager to share it with those with whom our lives intersect. And may be quick to praise the One who brings good, even amidst the bad.

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