Knowing

20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.
Romans 1: 20 NKJV

There was a saying that my mom used to tell me whenever her youngest son would ask her how she knew that the God she loved would do just as He had promised.  In these moments, she would smile and say "I just know that I know."  Now, despite the evidence to the contrary, there have been more than a few times that I have questioned if God would indeed keep His promises to me.  I didn't necessarily doubt that God existed, just that He might just be too damn busy to even worry about someone like me.  I mean, weren't there wars, conflicts and famines across the world that competed for my heavenly Fathers attention?  I would even start a few of my daily prayers by praying, "Lord, if you have time."  If He has time?  Scripture does tell us that time as we have come to know it has no meaning to God {2 Peter 3:8}.  So, does God have a honey do list?  A bucket list of things He needs to accomplish?  Are there certain people or situations which command more of His attention than others?  Believe me, these were all questions which I have asked at one time or another.  Of course, I wouldn't have even entertained these questions had a few of my prayers gone unanswered, or so I thought.  Didn't God promise to never leave or foraske me?  Yet there were times in which I felt alone when I should have seen His presence.  Was God busy somewhere else?  Instead of chalking this up to inexperience, I'll just say that, unlike my mom, I didn't yet know.  Indeed, she had been through the fire and gauntlet of lifes trials enough to understand that it was her times of trouble that God was as close as her next breath.

God replied, "My precious child, I love you and I would never leave you during your times of trial and suffering.  When you see only one set of footprints, it was here that I carried you."
~Footprints by Mary Stevenson~

There is a famous poem by Mary Stevenson titled Footprints.  In it, a person dreams they are walking a beach with God, noticing only one set of footprints during those times in their lives when they needed God the most.  Instinctively, they ask the Lord just why He would abandon them.  Not so, replies God, for it was here where I carried you!  I believe that this simple poem is a wonderful reminder for anyone who has felt that tug of lonliness on their heart where they've felt that a God who has promised to never leave them has suddenly done just that.  I've been there.  I've been on that beach and, seeing only one set of footprints, have wondered why God would abandon His child.  Not only is this a false statement, it suggests that there is somehow a seperation between ourselve sand God.  This is simply not true, and the apostle Paul reminds us that Christ Jesus is closer than we might think {Galations 2:20}.  Instead of simply sitting in heaven watching His children, we live today as Christ Jesus who is in us.  As it was in the begining, Jesus has restored that relationship we once had with the Father.  When we see only one set of footprints throughout our lives, we know that we know that God is carrying us through.

~Scott~