Are You In His Face or Under His Mighty Hand?

I'd like to share some of my recent journey with you who have been praying. Because this is still so new for me, I may not be able to express it very well but I pray the Holy Spirit will use it to speak hope and life to hearts of suffering brothers and sisters.

As most of you know, for years I intensely sought the face of God and, as His Word promises, He was found by me. Many years were spent just getting to know His Heart, His ways, and praying in accordance with His revealed will. But the last few years I have floundered terribly and not known why. My efforts to seek Him have been thwarted. I have been disappointed, in the dark, felt abandoned, been tempted to give up, fallen prey to escapism and depression while all along my physical condition has bordered on unbearable. I have felt condemned, unlovable, unloving and wasted. What I am only just beginning to realize is that while for many years I was in God's face, so to speak, I have now been under His mighty Hand. I'd like to share what, at least at this point, this means to me.

I Peter 5:6 tells us, "Therefore humble yourselves (demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation) under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you." But what does it mean to be under the mighty Hand of God? For one thing, it is dark. When you are covered by His Hand, you do not see His face and you may not even recognize His voice for a time. It is easy to confuse the circumstances and even the enemy's work (which God is using) as something to be fought and resisted as I did for so long. I found myself saying, "Why would God put me here? How can this be working for my good? Where did I go wrong?" But when I look ahead at God's purpose so He may exalt me in due time, I truly believe God must humble me in order to exalt me to a new level of his glory. Although it has all seemed like loss and going backwards, when I began to realize I was under His mighty Hand, I could accept that I was making progress, moving forward rather than backward, and begin to trust again even in the dark.

Verse 7 tells us this is the time to cast all our cares on Him so He can care for us. Our biggest problem is taking on all the cares ourselves because we see them as the enemy's triumph. But it is only as we humble ourselves that we can enter this place of casting where God then fights for us. And God will get us there by letting our own weapons, even those He gave us in the past, fail under His mighty Hand as He breaks our strength. Verse 8 goes on to warn us to be especially watchful for Satan who roams about seeking whom he may devour. Now if it is not the circumstances and cares (which are to to be cast on God) that we are to stand against what is the attack we are to watch for? I believe this is the most crucial thing I am learning at this point: the devil's strategy when we are weak, vulnerable and being prepared to be exalted to a new spiritual plane in God is to attack our trust in God and attempt to cut us off from our only source of help through several lies.

1. "Find a way out (a sneaky way of saying, 'exalt yourself.')" It is likely we may look pretty messy not only to ourselves but to our brethren making us feel the need to prove our spiritual stature and worth. Satan will use our confusion and appeal to our pride to get us to promote ourselves and our cause and play right into his hands.

2. "God doesn't care about you. He has given you over to the enemy to be destroyed." How can you cast your cares on one who doesn't care about you? The circumstances will make it feel that way so you must now live by faith in God's Word. Anger towards God only further defeats you. When the Lord removed his answers to my continued questions, I was offended. I found it hard to trust Him without understanding and He had always been gracious to give it. But now it was time for my trust and faith to mature and I totally missed it! Because my understanding had come from God, I had begun to lean on it instead of Him. Therefore, without it I had lost what had unknowingly become my source of trust. In a sense, my vision of God had become limited by my understanding of His ways and dealings with me thus far and He had to break into my neat little theology to bring me back to my real Source. I know I still don't really realize how very huge and great He is and how far above me are His ways but I want to.

3. "You are a mess condemned. Fix yourself up before God rejects you forever if He hasn't already." Oh what condemnation the accuser brings to those being humbled. And it all rings true. But God is leading us to deeper repentance, cleansing and freedom so He can make us what we ought to be. I tried so hard to do it myself and failed miserably.

4. "God can't be trusted. He has not been faithful to you so why go on?" This ultimate bottomline despair and loss of hope is where Satan leads us. Yes, I was tempted to die so many times to just give up. When God's answers are delayed, it feels like He is not being faithful and it is terrifying to be beyond the help of man and not be able to trust in God. But the truth is He is a God who works for those who wait for Him (Is 64:4).

In light of all this, verse 9 strongly urges us to stand firm in faith against these attacks, knowing our brothers are also suffering the same things. Oh, dear sufferer, if you are suffering in God's will, please recognize where your real battle is and begin to stand against these lies. There is peace to be had in the storm a refuge and a place to cast all care. I'm not there yet but I know I'm learning.

Finally, take verses 11 11 as a wonderful balm. "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace Who imparts all blessing and favor Who has called you to His own eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen and settle you. To Him be the dominion power, authority, rule forever and ever. Amen so be it."

Isaiah 50:11 says, "Who is among you who [reverently] fears the Lord, who obeys the voice of His servant, yet who walks in darkness and deep trouble and has no shining splendor [in his heart]? Let him rely on, trust and be confident in the name of the Lord, and let him lean upon and be supported by his God." Yes dear one, there is a darkness that comes from God Himself. It is His mighty Hand. It is the test of faith, the purifying of trust, the humbling necessary to move from glory to glory. It is not stagnant as it seems, it is not wasted, it is not evil. God is nearer than ever and ready to exalt you in His due time and you will be ready He will see to it. Isn't that wonderful? Receive it now and worship and bow down before the Lord your God, your Maker. We love you and thank God for you.