One morning the clouds and fog rolled in so thick that the hills were swallowed. I knew they were still present even though I couldn’t see them. Pretty soon gentle breezes dissolved the fog and slowly the hills appeared. I just can’t always live by what I see or even what I experience. This dirty old giant pot holds a lot of dirt and mulch and really isn’t very attractive. I keep it in the garden by faith. As spring unfolds there will be tender shoots of dahlias coming up. By faith, I trust that each year the dahlias will grow to 8 or 9 feet tall. They always amaze me in their size and their huge flowerheads. But I have to keep in mind that for quite a bit of the year their presence is hidden from my eyes. It is the time of year strength and growth takes place in the bulb for it to be able to shine in the summer.
I love God’s Word. It is the main delight of my heart and life. There have been times, though, when I wonder where God is in the midst. God has a habit of covering His presence in our lives. That is one reason it is so important for us to soak our hearts and minds in God’s Word. Knowing and trusting the promises of Scripture strengthens and toughens our spirits. There are bleak, dark times in life and there are times of gray indecision and questioning. These are the times I must trust in what I know from God’s Word. Just like the dark days of winter when the dahlia bulbs are resting in the soil, I must rest in the soil of God’s Word. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to recognize that Abraham, Moses, Joseph, David, Jeremiah, John the Baptist..... had many blank periods of questioning and waiting for God’s presence. Are we any better than they are? Just as they learned to persevere, trusting in God’s goodness and waiting on God’s presence, we, too, are strengthened and perfected in the same manner. Let’s keep company with the greats of Scripture!
The covered presence of God will lift in His timing. And glory will appear!
