Devotionals for the Heart: How to trust God when you cannot see Him

Trusting God's Hidden Presence in Your Storm
A backup devo by Terry Overton

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.”—Psalm 139:1-5 (ESV)

Looking back over time, I realized during the worst times of my life, I felt abandoned, completely alone.

I thought that no member of my family understood what I was going through. No one had ever walked in my shoes. No one was able to understand and offer help. No one could feel the depth of my pain and understand it. No one knew the extent of my sorrow. Whether the rough times were due to the failing health of a family member, witnessing a loved one fall on hard financial times, seeing a child or relative suffer consequences brought on by their own poor choices, knowing a loved one had been betrayed by another, feeling helpless and unable to help others—these were dark and devastating parts of my life journey that I felt I was experiencing utterly alone.

These events hurt my heart. I looked around and saw no one. I heard no one with words of comfort. I felt alone, lost, and abandoned. I felt unseen, unheard, unappreciated, unwell, unpowerful, and, at times, unloved.

Perhaps you have found yourself in such situations—desperately wanting help, relief, a cure, or a miracle from God. It is during these times we may question, “Why doesn’t God help me? Has He left me? Is He still here? Does He see me? Does He hear my pleas? Does He see my tears?”

Here’s what I’ve learned over the years of my life: Even when God is silent, He is still standing with us. One of the best examples we can read about in The Holy Bible that proves God’s continued presence is the story about Joseph’s life. He was not only abandoned by his brothers who hated him; he was thrown away, treated like rubbish, discarded into a pit, never to be seen or heard from again.

But God didn’t see it that way at all. Only after we examine the events of Joseph’s journey from the pit to the palace, can we affirm that not only were the events parts of God’s bigger plan, but God was with Joseph through it all. The Bible says in Genesis 39:2 that Joseph was purchased by Potipher as a slave, but the Lord was with Joseph, so he prospered. When Joseph was in prison (Genesis 39:20-21), the Bible says the Lord was with him there too and provided opportunity. When Joseph worked for the warden of the prison, the Lord helped Joseph have success in everything he did. As a result, the warden developed trust in Joseph.

God planned to place Joseph in a position to save his brothers who had acted harshly and sold him into slavery. Now, when his brothers and father found themselves in a horrible famine, God provided food through the actions of Joseph. God had been with Joseph the whole time, and Joseph’s faith in God grew.

Later in life, Joseph’s brothers felt remorse for their actions. They humbled themselves before Joseph and wanted to make things right (Genesis 50:15-21). But what did Joseph say? Since he now understood God’s plan for him, he responded in Genesis 50:20 (ESV), “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are today.”

When we wonder if God has abandoned us, we must remember that He is with us, as He was with Joseph. He is with us, just as Jesus Christ was in the boat with His disciples during the storm. God is with us as He was with Moses every step across the desert. In the big picture, God planned for Joseph to save lives and help others to prosper. God’s Son (Jesus Christ) was in the boat not just to save the disciples from being overturned in the stormy sea, but to save the disciples to spread the wonderful news of His love for us all. God was with Moses when he led the people to the Promised Land so that their heritage would continue and bless the world.

If you feel abandoned, remember God sees you and understands the depths of your pain. He is walking with us, He is walking ahead of us, He is walking behind us, and He sits with us in the stormy sea. God is with us in the pit of our sorrow. He parts the waters to take us along the right path. Even in our most troubled times on Earth, God walks with us through the shadow of death and offers comfort (Psalm 23:4). May we always remember to praise God for being with us. Let’s hold on to His hand and ask Him, “What should I do? What is my next step to serve you?”

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father,

My life may feel challenging or even hopeless at times. But I know You are here with me and You bring me comfort when my world does not make sense. Thank You for loving me and seeing my heart. Help me to sit peacefully and wait on Your timing. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

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Song of Reflection: “The God Who Sees” by Nicole C. Mullen. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Terry Overton is a retired university professor of educational and school psychology. She has an Ed.D. in Special Education and a Ph.D. in Psychology. 

Her professional experience includes teaching public school, teaching at the university level, and being a college dean.

She has two children, seven grandchildren, and one great granddaughter.

Her previous writing and publication experiences include textbook and journal articles in the fields of special education and school psychology. She now seeks to answer God’s call to share the good news and grow the church by writing Christian books and devotionals.

Over the years, Terry’s books have won the Mom’s Choice Award, Christian Indie Award, Firebird Book Awards, American Writing Winner Awards, Bookfest Winner Awards, Pencraft Award, Reader Views Silver Reviewers Award, and International Book Award Finalist. Her writing examines real world events with a Christian worldview. She enjoys writing for young children, middle grade readers, YA fiction, and adult level novels.

Terry’s background in teaching adults and children shine through her stories that often include a character with educational or learning challenges. Her Christmas series, The Oddball Ornaments, features a box of misfit ornaments who first learn the meaning of Christmas and then discover the meaning of forgiveness. In The Underground Book Readers series, one of the main characters is on the autism spectrum yet is one of the leaders of the group of teens. Book one of a new series, The Messiah Brigade, features an awkward middle school nerd who helps his school turn around a bully gang of kids. Adoption and family issues are the focus of her new book, Charlotte McMaster and the Messenger Angel.

Terry lives in Texas and enjoys reading, taking pictures for devotional posts on social media, visiting with her family, playing golf, and writing.

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Connect with Terry:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terry.overton.71653
Author Website: https://www.authorterryoverton.com/
Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/overtont