Written by David and Debbie Meece
Hear my voice when I call, O Lord; be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of You “Seek His face!”
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
Do not hide Your face from me, do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my helper.
Psalm 27:7-9
Why do we doubt the goodness of our Lord? Why do we hope – even demand – that God make His way clear to us before we follow Him in faith? We often know in our hearts what must be done, yet we are short-sighted and fear taking that important step of faith. We cry out for answers to life’s dilemmas but receive only silence in return. Our please for help seem to go unnoticed by this God who is supposed to love us so much.
“Where is He when we need Him most?” we wonder. We struggle to understand that God’s love is more evident in times of suffering and heartache than in times of prosperity and safety. Surely God has deserted us, we insist, as the darkness settles over us. We remember that even Jesus prayed to His Father while hanging on the cross, asking, “My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me?” We relate to those words. We relate to the feelings that the words seem to express.
But human feelings can lead us astray. They are not true barometers of success or failure or right or wrong as seen through the eyes of God. God insists that we be faithful and obedient to His will – which is not necessarily equivalent to success in the world’s sight. It can be confusing when we feel that the direction God is leading us seems contrary to wordly standards of success. Too often we opt for a path we think is better, basing our decision on fickle human emotions. We pray to our Lord demanding that He come through for us in the manner that we have predetermined. We doubt God’s presence and we question His goodness when His answer differs from ours.
As we stare into circumstances that appear to be our undoing, we pray desperately for an easier, less painful path. But God has a plan for our lives. Just as he did not desert Jesus at the cross, neither does he desert us as we bear the personal crosses of our lives. His silence can be interpreted as gentle, persistent urgings to listen to Him more closely. He will respond with His holy direction if we will be still and listen to Him more closely. He will respond with His holy direction if we will be still and listen for Him in our hearts. His love will shine through the most desperate of times when we reach to Him in faith and believe that He is paving the way before us – every step of the way.
“Your will not mine Father,” were Jesus’ words as He faced the cross on that dark day. When we find ourselves in the dark places of life, we will experience His leading only when we completely lean on Him for His direction – not to our destruction but into the dwelling place of His eternal love.
Dear Lord, as I contend with areas in my life that appear to be my complete undoing, I confess that I feel so alone. It seems that Your answers only bring more pain. I want to let the shining light of Your love guide my path, but how I yearn to know where You are leading and why. But even so, I place ______________at Your feet. I will live one day at a time, believing that You are paving the way before me.
Written in conjunction with David’s “Once in a Lifetime” CD
From the “Once in a Lifetime” Devotional
