Devotional Thought of the Day:

. ⁷  But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I cried to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears. ⁸  “Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the heavens shook; they quaked because of his anger. ⁹  Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from him. ¹⁰  He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet. ¹¹  Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind. ¹²  He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dense rain clouds. ¹³  A great brightness shone around him, and burning coals blazed forth. ¹⁴  The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. ¹⁵  He shot arrows and scattered his enemies; his lightning flashed, and they were confused. ¹⁶  Then at the command of the LORD, at the blast of his breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare. ¹⁷  “He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. 2 Samuel 22:7-17 (NLT)

579      There was a young priest who used to address Jesus with the words of the Apostles: Edissere nobis parabolam, explain the parable to us. He would add: Master, put into our souls the clarity of your teaching, so that it may never be absent from our lives and our works. And so that we can give it to others. You too should say this to Our Lord.  (1)

The title of this post comes from the 12th verse of quote from 2 Samuel above, a verse that stands our to me this morning.

It causes great dissonance, a wall of discomfort.  Why would God hide himself from us, especially when we need Him?  Especially when we’re crying out to Him, overwhelmed by the already dark nature of this world?  When we are looking for comfort, when we are looking for His peace, when we need to know He is still in charge, that He is still Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, that His promised presence is reality.

We read he hears our cries, we read our begging for help reaches Him.

And His reaction…. is to hide Himself from us? To block our ability to see Him, to know His presence?

I struggled reading this, this morning…. as it was part of my devotions.

Then I came across St Josemaria’s quote, at the end of my devotions, and I came to that suggested prayer, and thought about it, and prayed that way….. Lord, I need clarity to understand this!  Why would you hide Yourself from us?

It wasn’t just to David, the writer of these words.  THink it through, the crowds in Jesus day didn’t see Him either.  The two disciples on the way to Emmaus, who walked with the risen Lord, didn’t see him either, as they poured out their grief, as they struggled to make sense of the darkness they find themselves surrounded by

why Lord?  Why would you let us suffer without the calming effect of your presence?  What is the lesson hear I need to understand clearly?  How can this lesson be there for me, and show itself in my work>

In David’s psalm, I am beginning to see it, God is not coming gently to our side.  He is coming to save His people. Look at the description of His coming, He is arrayed for ull battle, A fierce picture.  Terrifying really.  But such is His love, he doesn’t come to our with some half strength effort.  He comes full strength to deliver us….

I think He hides himself, less in seeing His approach, we would be unable to hear, he hides himself to protect us from a reaction which would show us even more overwhelmed, even more burdened by anxiety and fear.  For often, in such times, we could mistake His coming with power to rescue us, with His coming to strike us, to pour out on His wrath……

Think of the cross, we didn’t see that either.  There is no way we could have.  God came full force into our presence, to deal with all that causes anxiety and fear.  We weren’t ready to see God’s wrath poured out, never mind that he bore the punishment, a glorious act, but overwhelming as well.  yet no other act is as full of love, is so proving that God won’t forsake us.  Even as we are blinding to Him, that doesn’t mean He isn’t working, in us, through us, upon us.

For He is reaching down from Heaven to rescue us…… He has saved us.  We are safe, for we dwell in Him

I have been struggling, weary, tired, overwhelmed by the trauma that seems to surround those I care for, trauma of every type.  Yet I know there is dawn coming… I know we shall see the glory of God, even if I struggle now….If I am not ready for it at this moment, that’s okay.  He knows when the fullness of time will be known.   His glory will be seen, even as His suffering was seen, as the wrath of God the Father was poured out….He is here… even now..

I will struggle and wait, trying to be patient…… for He will reveal Himself soon…Whether in all of is glory, or in those moments of communion, as we share in His body and Blood….reminding us that He is present, in and with us.

We can wait… because we know His love…His promises, His word…

May my journey help you in yours, as in those days where God seems distant, we realize His presence is there…

(1)  Escriva, Josemaria (2011-01-31). The Forge (Kindle Locations 2156-2159). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.