A GOD THAT HIDES HIMSELF -- Tomorrow:
"Truly, Thou art a God Who hidest Thyself, O God of Israel, the Savior" -- Isaiah 45:15
"LORD, why castest Thou off my soul? Why hidest Thou Thy face from me?" (Psa 88:14). Here is another hebraism; the truth stated two different ways. Experientially, it seemed as though the writer had been cast upon an unchartered sea, with no Divine help. Yet, he knew this was but the hiding of the face of the Lord. The circumstance defied logic, and so he prayed. He knew that God not only could hide Himself; He could also reveal Himself.
"Thou hidest Thy face, they are troubled: Thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust" (Psa 104:29). A lively sense of the presence of the Lord is essential to peace. We are dependent upon the Lord Himself. To be more precise, our awareness of the presence and blessing of the Lord is the secret to our stability and spiritual tranquility.
"Trouble," or the agitation of circumstance and the human spirit, breaks out when God cannot be perceived--when he hides Himself. It is the Lord's nature to hide Himself from His people in order that they might better perceive this reality.
"How long wilt Thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me?" (Psa 13:1). Had God really "forgotten" David? Indeed, He had not! From one point of view, David knew this. However, he is not speaking from a theoretical perspective, but from an experiential one. God had "hidden" His face from David; i.e., the adverse circumstance was magnified above spiritual blessing. While this may not seem to be the best circumstance, and even be logically improper, it is nevertheless true. The "sweet Psalmist of Israel" was absolutely dependent upon the Lord Himself. When His realization of the Divine Presence waned, for whatever reason, he was miserable. He did not complain like Israel in the wilderness, however. Instead, he besought the Lord to again make Himself known to him. You do well to do the same.
"LORD, by Thy favor Thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: Thou didst hide Thy face, and I was troubled" (Psa 30:7). A troubled soul is a miserable one. Life becomes a burden when the soul is troubled. Heaven seems distant, and God appears far away. Strength wanes, and self- sufficiency is seen for what it really is: an imagination. When the face of God is not perceived, trouble breaks out. Those who have walked with God find life intolerable when His presence is not evident.
"How long, LORD? wilt Thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire?" (Psa 89:46). It is possible for a sense of the vanity of life apart from God to grip the soul with great power. In such times life seems futile, enemies appear invincible, and circumstance looms larger than life itself. Self efforts to obtain confidence are vain, and the wisdom of this world is powerless. When God hides Himself, we sense the utter vanity of flesh and the world order. God's wrath looms large while His mercy appears to recede into the background. This is what the Psalmist experienced, and He reasoned with God about the situation. While he did not have the advantages we possess in Christ, his experience was a precursor to that of those in Jesus.
This is the sort of thing Paul alludes to in his letter to the Corinthians. "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed" (2 Cor 4:8-9).
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, cause my faith to surface when Your face is hidden! Strengthen me to have prayers that rise when Your presence seems distant.