“”If I go forward, he is not there; or backward, I cannot perceive him; on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him; I turn to the right, but I cannot see him.
But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I shall come out like gold.” Job 23:8-10
Meditating on Job’s story this morning, I come across these words. It reminds me so much of my Road of Faith.
So many years I walked my Road without consideration of God. I didn’t treasure His words, I didn’t hold fast my foot to His steps nor did I hold to His Commandments in my heart. But, God was always walking that Road with me. This calls to mind the joke I heard – “God says, “the times with just one set of footprints is when I carried you.” “Well, what is that line then, Lord?” “That is when I dragged you along, kicking and screaming.””
“What he desires, that he does. For he will complete what he appoints for me; and many such things are in his mind.” Job 23:13-14
God knows His plans for you (Jeremiah 28:11). He knows there will be years of fighting His plans – maybe as much as I did or just little bits. But, He stands firm in the plans of your life – your eternal life.
The days I walked in darkness, all those years and even the dark months after that ICU night, I looked and I couldn’t find God. Left, right, up – nowhere was He seen or heard. I’d listen in Mass and silence though His words were read. I prayed (halfheartedly), silence. Until, the silence became deafening. After all those years of looking to myself, I looked in the mirror and saw a dreadful man, but over my shoulder stood Christ. Months of my dark night, I heard the deafening silence and saw I was forlorn. In both days of darkness, God stood near and shone His Light upon me. And, I saw more
I had to walk through that darkness to recognize my need for God.
You don’t need to. Turn to Him, latch onto Him. If word befall you, hold tighter. If life gets dark, open your eyes to look at Him. Listen to what He is whispering. And, learn to trust in Him.
His ways confuse, perplex and humble us. But, in all this, if you must be perplexed, let it be of God’s love. Let His infinite mercy be what humbles you.
When the demons lurk at the edge of the darkness surrounding you, look to God (even if unseen in the moment) and say, “Jesus, I trust in You.”
Thanks for sharing your journey. “Jesus, I trust in you” I have been hearing and seeing his image so much, just figuring out that he is speaking to me, did not understand that.
This image is His mercy. He is mercy. His mercy and love flow through this image to your soul. Lifting you as His beloved daughter
Message me, Sue – email Eccorbett@verizon.net and we can ‘talk’