Grace Disguised

There are times in our lives when God doesn’t appear to be who He says He is. There are moments, sometimes years, when our faith falls short and we’re consumed with the possibility that God either doesn’t care or He really isn’t there. But, we don’t discover the power of God’s immeasurable love and power by staying in mountaintop moments. We find God’s undeniable presence in our darkest day, our hardest nights, and in the deepest of valleys; it’s when we realize that nothing short of a miracle from God can save us. That’s when we find God. His Light shines brightest in the darkness and His love is more powerful in our emptiness. His mighty hand is most evident when we’re in a Lion’s den, facing giants, or our lives are threatened by a raging storm. When all hope seems gone, we find God ever-present, embracing us with his unfailing love, and pouring down His endless grace that is often disguised.

You can’t say that you truly “trust God,” unless you’ve had your faith put to the test . . . unless you’ve had the opportunity to “distrust” Him. It’s when trials come into your life that a Divine “opportunity knocks.” Every difficulty you face is your chance to trust in the things unseen and to be abundantly blessed.

“Blessed are those who believe

 without seeing me." 

(John 20:29 NLT)

Just when you think God is nowhere to be found, it’s His grace that upholds you when you’re too weak to carry on. And it’s His Word that your faith will depend upon. In our most overwhelming moments of life, we will need something to hold onto . . . if it’s not the Promises of God, we’ll find ourselves grabbing hold of anything and everything in this world to save us. Yet, one way or another, we’ll find that only Jesus saves. The raging storm in your life is God’s grace disguised . . . He’s giving you the opportunity to see Him calm it.

If you’re trusting in God, it may be difficult to accept that God has allowed you to face such dire circumstances. Your faith may get shaken to its core when you realize that if God is who He says He is, then He has permitted the suffering and pain you are going through each day. But, it’s when you’re down to nothing . . . God is up to something. His grace, disguised as pain, tears, and emptiness of soul are bringing you to a place of seeing Him face to face. His grace disguised in your life will reveal His constant presence, His mighty power, His perfect provision, and His abundant peace as He strengthens your faith in Him.

When you’re facing great uncertainty, stuck somewhere in the land “in-between,” grab hold of the opportunity to trust God . . . even when there’s no “evidence” that you should. Trust God anyway. His silence and apparent absence is beckoning your spirit to be embraced by His grace. You’ll make it through more than you can ever imagine. You’re stronger in Him than you could ever fathom. Your times of trials are teaching you to lean longer and harder on God than you ever thought you could. He’s growing your faith in ways that you cannot conceive. Press through the doubt and stand in the pain. Find rest in His Promises and embrace in the dark what He has revealed to you by His Light. When all hope is gone, there is faith . . . and faith brings about God’s presence and power along with an abundance of grace which can sometimes be disguised.

Don’t give into despair . . . know that God is there and He does care. He’s drawing you nearer, so that your faith will be strengthened for the journey ahead. (And only He knows the path you’ll be traveling.) Through it all, He’s longing for one thing only— a closer walk with you. He’s a God who doesn’t need you, but wants you, loves you, and longs to be with you. You see, just ahead, around the next bend through the valley, there are green pastures and quiet waters. Once you’re there, you’ll find that although the dark valley appeared to be the end of your journey, you found your soul refreshed and your spirit comforted; finally you realize that your most fearful moments were simply God’s grace . . . disguised.