The Hand of God in hard times

Back in 1981 when I received my university degree, threw all my belongings into the back of my 1964 Stepside Chevy pickup and headed for my ministry in central California, I was filled with idealistic dreams of the ministry. I imagined myself walking over the hills of California, side-by-side with fresh-faced teens who were eager to know Scripture truths. I could see myself sitting in my office, sharing the Scripture and a Pepsi with a committed young person who poured out their desire to serve Christ. Ah, things were going to be great with all the resources and opportunities I would enjoy.

Well, it didn’t work out that way.

I mean, not even close.

Instead, I found out that I was to be a full-time school teacher in a school of about ninety children. I was a part-time janitor. I was not allowed to have teen activities or Bible studies. My pay was so low that I actually qualified for the government’s free cheese and butter program. I had three changes of clothes – that was all I could afford.

My office – and I kid you not – was a five-foot-square upstairs closet. My desk was a plank resting on two cinder blocks. My lighting was a tea lamp hanging on a nail.

I was devastated.

But as I look back I cannot say it was bad. For in the midst of the losing all my expectations, I gained something else: an appreciation for the little things. I learned how to be thankful for a child’s hug. A teen’s prayer. A pat on the back. A conversation with a man who had just spent the day digging ditches.

I got a look at reality. It was good for me.

Doesn’t seem that way in the world today, does it? Most of us think the sign of the Lord’s blessing is an easy and laid-back life, and struggles as a sign of Satanic cursing. Well, that’s not really accurate. God has a beautiful future laid out for and often it is in ways that we could never ever predict. The French sculptor, Rodin, gave a good view of God's care in artwork he crafted. He shaped two small statues and put them side-by-side in a display. The first statue is made of smooth marble and is soft and sleek-looking, showing a human figure cradled in a hand that portrays complacency, peace, and quietness. The human figure seems to be free of any distractions. Rodin called this work "The Hand of the Devil." The second piece, however is rough and harsh. Rodin designed a powerful-looking hand holding a figure of humanity and carrying it, rising upward to new life. The artist called this work "The Hand of God."

Rodin's message is that while Satan wants to lull us into complacency, but God's intent is to mold us for the life ahead. His care and desire may seem rough and unsettled, but His desire is a higher calling. Challenges are what hones the Believer. The diamond must be cut in order to show its beauty.

"Why are you in despair, O my soul? And {why} have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him {For} the help of His presence. " - Psalm 42:5