Follow the Hand Prints!

Often when we are going through difficulty,we are not able to recognize the hand of  God at work in our lives.We get caught up in our circumstances and are unable to focus on the ways in which he is participating in our lives. 
Are we looking for the some grand experience? Are we waiting for lightening to flash in the sky and an answer to fall into our laps? Are we expecting to hear the rolling thunderous sound of a voice from heaven say, "This is God and I am here to save you". Don't get me wrong God can show up in extremely magnificent and flashy ways. He did so often in the Bible especially in the Old Testament. However, more often than not, he is following along side us gently guiding us to the answer that he has for us. He is whispering words of comfort and peace. He is touching us through the hug of a friend, the kiss on the cheek from a sweet child . God is always with us but are we always quiet enough to hear his voice, attentive enough to see him as he stretches his hands toward us inviting us to come to him, so that he could gently rock us.
Often times we don't realize that God has been with us throughout the trying times in our lives, until we have long left the challenging circumstance we were in. It is only when life is going good and all is well with our world, that we could reflect back on beautiful tangible ways in which the hand of our precious father gently guided us. Those tender mercies that he extended toward us- that were like  gulps of fresh air when we felt as though we were running out of oxygen, because the weight of our trials were laying so heavily upon our hearts. 
We look back and can see why we didn't give up, that friend offering to watch our children so we could take a few hours to relax-that was God. The stranger in the line ahead of us paying for our coffee- that was God. The kind note and gift left on the steps of our house-it was God. It was him cheering us on saying, "Run the race, keep up the good fight of Faith you can and will make it to the finish line". 
Those are his hand prints all over our lives, that we often don't recognize until we look back. He can rescue us in dazzling, grandiose ways. However, it often eliminates the opportunity for him to have our lives touched by his human hands. And since he is an up close and personal God, usually human hands are his first choice. So when you are going through difficult times, please stop for a moment and trace his hand print in your circumstances. You will be amazed at how much he is working in your situation to bring forth the good that he has promise!

Psalm 25:1-5(VOICE)

A song of David.

 ALWAYS I will lift up my soul to You, Eternal One, 

 BECAUSE You are my God and I put my trust in You.
    Do not let me be humiliated.
    Do not let my enemies celebrate at my expense. 

 CERTAINLY none of the people who rely on You will be shamed,
    but those who are unfaithful, who intentionally deceive,
    they are the ones who will be disgraced.

DEMONSTRATE Your ways, O Eternal One.
    Teach me to understand so I can follow. 

    EASE me down the path of Your truth.
    FEED me Your word
    because You are the True God who has saved me.
    I wait all day long, hoping, trusting in You.