Truly you are a God who has been hiding himself, the God and Savior of Israel. (Isaiah 45:15)
We all know that God works in full view of everyone and everything, and we know that God is always working (John 5:17). But what about those times in our lives when we feel like challenges and trials are beating us down, and it seems like God is nowhere to be found? I want to encourage you today with the biblical foundation that teaches us the truth that that we do indeed have a “Behind the Scenes Savior.” Then on Wednesday and Friday of this week, we’ll look at two powerful stories from Scripture about God working from behind the scenes while being in complete control of everything.
We have all heard the saying, “God works in mysterious ways.” Here is one of the most important passages in all of Scripture that speaks to this truth:
“My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Often it is only when we look back over our lives that we see just how God was working, even though we could not see it at the time. Why? Because more often than not, God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and God’s ways are not our ways. When we are struggling in the midst of a difficult trial, we tend to shift our focus away from Christ and zero in on our circumstances. When we do that, we are utterly incapable of seeing what God is doing in our lives.
To be sure, there are many times when we do not know the mind of God in a certain set of circumstances. But what we can always know with complete certainty is that we have a good God who has a perfect plan for our imperfect lives. If this message finds you in a moment of darkness, difficulty, or even despair because you feel that God is distant, take heart! God is at work in every aspect of your life, whether you see it or not. How do I know that to be true? Because that is what He has promised! “Never will I leave you,” He assure us; “never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
And throughout the entire process, He is working everything together for your ultimate good. Look to Him. Learn from Him. Lean on Him! Trust God even when you cannot trace Him in your life.
On Wednesday we will take a look at the life of Joseph and see a splendid story of our Savior working behind the scenes.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 