A Heart Captured
Most days it is easy to say that God is good and to believe that He has amazing things planned for us. But sometimes, when it seems that the difficult far outweighs the good, doubt can creep in and cause our faith to question if He is aware of our circumstances. Or worse, does He even care?
The Bible tells us that God holds our days (Psalm 16:5) and that He determines our steps (Proverbs 16:9). Long ago, He prepared good works for us that we might walk in them (Ephesians 2: 10). Before we were even born, our days were written down (Psalm 139:16). So, when bad things happen, is God unaware or impersonal? Is He as surprised as we are when difficult seasons drag on and on? Is He still good?
I often think about the hope of Psalm 139:5. “You hem me in behind and before, and lay Your hand of blessing upon me.” We are surrounded by the Lord on all sides! Our past, present, and future are secure in Him.
Our past is secured behind us, our mistakes forgiven. Our future is secured before us, He is in control and He is victorious! We are hemmed into today. We are surrounded by God’s faithfulness and goodness. He proves to us that He alone can deliver us and provide all that we need. And though at times our hearts still ache, He sustains us and places peace deep within our souls.
His hedge is intended to protect us, but it is also intended to interrupt us when we begin to doubt or veer off course. Sometimes we get so focused on the circumstances around us, that we miss His perspective. We miss seeing how He is working through our circumstances. We miss the blessings He has intended for us each day, despite the difficulties. The biggest blessing is that He is with us right in the middle of whatever circumstances we are facing!
And let’s not forget that His hand is over us. His hand isn’t meant to crush or confine us, but to reassure us that He is with us, He has compassion on us, He wants to rain down blessings upon us! We are lovingly engraved on the palms of His hands (Isaiah 49:16). We can have hope and courage because we are sheltered in the heart of God.
He wants to show us grace and tenderness (Isaiah 30:18). He will never leave us helpless or forgotten (Hebrews 13:5). He is singing over us with melodies meant to quiet and comfort us. His lyrics beckon us to believe His promises and to be captivated by Him (Zephaniah 3:17).
He has hemmed us in because He loves us and He is good. His hand is over us because He is compassionate and wants to capture our hearts. Do we trust that no matter how deep the valley, He is working for our good and His glory? Lord, help us to hear Your song over us. Capture our hearts and may we learn to sing along!
