Restlessness

Where is the peace? Where is the joy? Where is the love? Where are you, God?

This is a difficult place to be where rest is precious. So, may “tribulation produce perseverance, which produces proven character, which produces hope, which does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts.” A hard lesson to learn – perseverance, for we all prefer the easy path of least resistance. In this wilderness called earth, we must come to expect and prepare for rocky paths – it just comes with the territory.

Will there be good days? Sure, and lots of them. But, make no mistake, there will be days in the valley of the shadow of death. There will be “vales of tears.” There will be sleepless nights and long, hard days. There will be sickness and the inevitable death. But what matters most is whose hand we are holding along the way.

It is written: “He will hold us with his hand; he will guide us with his counsel, and afterwards he will take us into glory.”

So, where is the peace, the joy, and the love?  Where is God?  

He is wherever people are trusting in him. He is often wiser than us. He knows where he is not wanted, and he knows how to make himself scarce. We would do well to learn from him.

We are shaped and molded by our friends. May we choose wisely our traveling companions.

—Brad Heilhecker