Are our troubles hidden from the LORD?

Weekly Devotion

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

"Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?" Isaiah 40:27

Sometimes it may seem that God does not know the troubles we face in life, that our problems are hidden from the LORD God and His help and strength are not near. But that could not be further from the truth.

Our God is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. He formed each of us in the womb and gave us life (cf. Psalm 139:13-16). He paid attention to the tiniest of details and yet He is the almighty and all-knowing God.

Verse 26 reminds us of God's creative power: "Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth."

Is there any problem or trouble too great for the LORD God who created and keeps the stars to remedy?

His Word also asks us in verses 28: "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding."

He certainly is not asleep and oblivious to our prayers! He is not weary from all his work or too weak to hear and intervene for us. And His knowledge and understanding are so great we cannot begin to search out, understand and know His thoughts toward us.

Consider the words of Psalm 139:1-6: "O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it."

And, while it may sometimes appear that God does not know our troubles or hear our prayers, "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength" (Isaiah 40:29).

Verses 30-31 assure us: "Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Is our way hidden from the Lord? Has He skipped over our case and neglected judgment in our need? Never! He knows all and gives to all of us who trust in Him help and strength to rise above our troubles and keep our eyes focused on Him! He assures that, for the sake of Christ Jesus and His cross, He forgives our sins and accepts us as His children; and He promises us: "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5; cf. Ephesians 1:3ff.).

For Jesus' sake, we have the assurance that we can go to Him in prayer with our needs and He will hear and answer our prayers in accord with His perfect will (cf. 1 John 5:14-16; Matthew 7:7-11).

O gracious and merciful God, we thank You for watching over us and keeping us in all our ways. Grant us help and strength to hold fast to You in faith until you take us to our eternal home in heaven for Jesus' sake. Amen.

[Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.]

Editorial on 02/07/2018