Tracing His Hand to Trust His Heart

“Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.”

God is sovereign. I should know this. I’ve heard it my entire life. But in the ever shifting seasons of life in a not yet post pandemic world, it’s a struggle to live like I believe it.

I’m near sighted.

I look at what is in front of me and it becomes all that I can see. August. If I can only make it through August, then September will be easier. August clouds my vision. I’m holding it so close to my face that it’s all I can see and the weight of it threatens to crush me. I could use more rest but time doesn’t allow, so I settle for more food.

What I really need is perspective.

The gift of perspective is what Paul gave those in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch. He traced God’s hand in history.

God chose. God made. God led. God endured. God overthrew. On and on Paul demonstrated to his listeners that God has been and continues to be the one who does the work. God brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. And what God has promised, he has fulfilled by raising up Jesus. Throughout history God has been the one who does the heavy lifting. He finally and fully removed the penalty of sin from those who belong to Him. What remains for us is forgiveness. Acceptance. Peace. Rest.

If I put August on the timeline of my life, and trace the ways the Lord has been faithful in my past, I can trust that He will continue to be faithful in my future. And how much more clearly will I see his hand and his heart as I read of how He has acted throughout history in the lives of those whom he has called according to his purpose!

Does today feel overwhelming? Does tomorrow seem like it might be worse? Let’s stop holding it so close that it clouds our vision. We can give it to the One who holds history in his hands.

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

By His Grace,
Natalie