Unexpected Treasures
We sang in church this morning about God’s goodness and that His promises are sure and true. I leaned over to my husband and said, “I believe these words, but sometimes they are just so hard to sing.”
He is good!
But our hearts are broken!
He is good!
But we don’t understand why He doesn’t bring an end to our difficulties even though we know that He is able to do so!
He is good!
But good seems to be happening to everyone else but to us!
He is good!
Period!
I think we too often confuse what we think He has promised us with what our hearts desire to happen. Sometimes they are the same thing. But sometimes they are not.
Even though we ask, He doesn’t promise to make smooth all of our paths in life. Sometimes He leaves mountains smack dab right in front of us. Big ones! Insurmountable ones! So huge we can’t see the tops hanging out in the clouds.
So if He doesn’t promise an easy life, nor to level the mountains before us, what does He promise?
That He is faithful to pull us out of despair and to put a new song in our hearts! (Psalm 40).
That He will use the difficulties to shape our hearts to be more like Him! (Romans 8).
That He is with us and He will never abandon us nor forget about us! (Isaiah 41).
That He gives us strength when we are worn out and in desperate need for grace! (Isaiah 40).
These are just some of the promises we can count on. I believe these are unexpected treasures that we come to truly understand as we walk through difficulties. We can experience true hope and deep joy even when the mountains loom large before us.
Sometimes we don’t understand why God leaves mountains in our path, and maybe we never will. But I believe God can be both sovereign and good at the same time even during the events that cause us such sorrow.
He is sovereign. He didn’t fall asleep and as a result difficult circumstances snuck in and took up residence in our previously happy life. He is sovereign over every event in our lives. No matter what, He will accomplish His purposes.
He is good. He is restoring us. He is present with us, even in our most trying of circumstances. He enables us to experience peace, joy, and unexpected moments of laughter even though our hearts are broken.
Even though the waters may rise up so high that we feel we will go under and the fires have grown so much more intense, we can take comfort that He is with us! The waters will not overwhelm us! The fires will not consume us! And not only that, but I believe He uses them to show us treasures that we would otherwise never have fully understood.
No matter how big the mountains facing us, our God is bigger still! We have hope that He will make a path specific for our feet to tread. He is leading us and He is working because He loves us and holds us precious in His eyes (Isaiah 43).
And for this I am thankful, not for the huge mountains, or the jagged valleys below, but because He has treasures for us in them.
