Faith's View

I know I'm having a hard day when I go for my third mug of tea.  It is definitely my comfort food.  A sort of "blankie" for me... the grown up 35 year old!  So I took off on a hike to clear my head.  I headed out on a familiar trail where I could climb to a place and look out on the view.  Sitting down to exhale the pain and breathe in the beauty I noticed something new.  Usually this is the place where my eyes are lifted off of my situation and focused on a view reminding me of hope.  Today though, my eyes were actually drawn down to what was below me.  Never before had I noticed there is a clear view of the trail I had just traveled.  Sitting down I began to contemplate the path I had just taken.  My thoughts turned to the path we have been on personally this last year and a half.  So many questions... where we have been and why...how have we responded, what have we learned, how have we changed, and what do we now know of God as a result.  To be honest, this was one of those days where there were no specific answers.  No earth-shattering insight to dissolve my confusion.  Just the weight of it all.
So I begged Jesus to shed light on the path I had seen below.  I knew I had seen it for a reason.

And then the strong whisper came.

"But if I go to the east, He is not there;
if I go to the west, I do not find Him.
When He is at work in the north, I do not see Him;
when He turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of Him.
But
He knows the way that I take;
when He has tested me,
I will come forth as gold."  Job 23:8-10

Jesus knew how I was feeling.  Knew I was looking for Him, but couldn't find Him.  Though I could not answer my questions to make sense of the path we have been on and though some days I cannot perceive or understand what God is doing in our lives, no matter.  He wanted to remind me that He knows.  He knows the way that I take.  He is at work, even when I cannot see Him.  That is why this journey is called faith.

Now I did have another thought and it was "really... come forth as gold?"  "Have you seen me lately?" 
And then the second strong whisper,
"Yes, and that it why it is my work and not yours."
How often I make it all up to me, putting pressure on myself, forgetting I have a Savior.
Today I was reminded of truth and I gained confidence in the One who knows the way that I take.
Jesus you really are amazing.  You saved a sinner such as me and then by your grace, You can cause us to come forth as gold.  How You can bring beauty from ashes is truly miraculous.  You get all the credit, Lord.  All the glory is Yours.

"To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy--to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!"   Jude 25-25