UNSEEN NOT UNKNOWN
[5-minute read]
THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT suffering prolonged distress and hopelessness that can make us feel invisible, even to God. We wonder if He sees what we are going through as we struggle to stay buoyant in our faith in Him - from hours that stretch to days and months, trying to appear as normal as we can manage to. We are in a place of existence that is discernible to very few, if anyone at all.
Yet, we do not give up because our relationship with God give us the conviction that He had worked quietly behind the scenes in our previous trials. Therefore, though unseen, we cannot say that He is unknown to us. Indeed, it is our intimate knowledge of God that keeps us holding on and soldiering on until we see His plans and purposes unfold in our realities. We are not talking about an overnight change, an instant breakthrough, or a name-it-claim-it wonder, but the mystery of the knowledge of the One who created us.
The song Way Maker captures it so accurately, “Even when I don’t see it, You’re working; even when I don’t feel it, You’re working; You never stop, You never stop working”. We know WHO HE IS.
The prophet Isaiah often had to remind the Israelites of God’s redeeming love and compassion because the miracles they experienced time and again as a community never really translated into a personal knowledge and conviction about Him. As soon as God blessed them, they would start doing things their own way and rebelled against Him until the next crisis came. Then they would cry out to the Lord again as if he had abandoned them like they abandoned him. The lack of growth in their individual knowledge of God allowed erroneous groupthink to perpetuate without being correction or challenged. (Sadly, the same can exist in churches and groups today.)
Isaiah laboured to teach them, “But now, this is what the Lord says – He who created you, Jacob, He who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine.” (Isaiah 43:1). Today, we know that God knows us by name and sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the Cross for us. The sick, the broken, the hurting, the down and out – we all belong to God no matter how forgotten and forsaken we feel. No one needs to perform to get God’s attention.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass throughthe rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk throughthe fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” (Isaiah 43:2). The repetition of two keywords in this passage - when and ‘through’ - tells us three truths about God.
Truth #1 It Is ‘When’ Not ‘If’
None of us can say that life has never thrown us a curve ball! Just look at the unpredictable twists and turns in the life of Joseph – one moment he was telling his brothers about the dream God had given him and the next, he was living in a series of nightmare he seemed to keep getting into. Similarly, when the Israelites finally could leave a life of forced labour and boldly walking out of Egypt with their families, Pharoah backpedaled on his decision to release them by sending 600 of his best chariots to pursue them. (Exodus 14:5-8). Talk about a reversal of fate!
However, God never operates on contingency but by certainty. So when we are hit by something that causes us to wonder about our purpose and the meaning of life, we can be sure that God is right there with us. “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” (Hebrews 6:19a). It is the quite strength that keeps us going - waking up each morning to face another day – knowing that each day is a new reality that God has created, that has never been seen or told before.
Therefore, when life takes an unexpected turn, we must learn to go through it.
Truth #2 It Is ‘Through’ Not ‘Around’
Humans are naturally creative in working around things. We go to great lengths to avoid what is unpleasant to ourselves while hiding our fears so that others will continue to see our ‘good side’. We want the fastest relief in the shortest time without any real resolution. We want God to remove a problematic person or remove us from a problematic situation as soon as they appear. We beat around the bush instead of admitting fault and demonstrate true humility.
Some people try to think positively by saying ‘this too, shall pass’. While it means that nothing is permanent, it overlooks the fact that even short-term suffering can be damaging and deadly. A better response is in acknowledging that, whatever we (the children of God) are going through, we know how it will end because God is still with us all the time!
Competitive swimmers don’t excel by running around the pool. Academic success does not come to those who skip classes. Great chefs must endure the heat in the kitchen. In the same way, the Bible teaches us that we need to persevere whenever we face trials of any kind (and there will be many types) because they create the conditions that test our faith. And what emerges from such testing is perseverance, maturity and the capability to face setbacks. (James 1:2-4).
Truth #3 God Will Be With You
When life overwhelms us, we can lose sight of not only the blue sky above us, the greenery in front of us, but also God who is with us. His very presence is assured in the Word of God from Psalm 23:1-4, particularly for those going through what seems to be their darkest hour. In the spiritual realm, God is always leading us, refreshing us, guiding us away from danger and harm. He is with us through it all.
God has no interest in grooming escape artistes! We may escape one trial but unchecked wrong thinking will soon lead us back into another similar situation. God will not allow testings and trials to shame us but ultimately become a testimony that brings glory and honour to His Name. Not to destroy us, but to mold us into Christlikeness.
With God on our side, we can have confidence in how things will end: “Though You have made me see troubles, many and bitter, You will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth, You will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once more.” (Psalm 71:20-21).
This is a summary and reflection based on a virtual BIR Session held on 15 July 2023.
