The Everyday Gospel Christmas DevotionalSample

The God who works in the light also works in the shadows. If you do not see his hand, don’t conclude that he isn’t working.

When I counseled people, they would tell me their stories. Often they would recount their lives and express no sense of God’s presence or influence. I found this jarring. So I would act as a tour guide, walking them back through their stories and pointing out evidence of God’s presence, care, provision, and grace. Sometimes God works in the bright light. His hand is obvious, and his care is clear. But sometimes it is hard to “see” God. In these moments, it’s tempting to wonder whether he is near and whether he is doing anything. So it is important to understand that the God who works in the light also works in the shadows. His sovereign power and redeeming care are not always clear, but we ought not think he is absent, distant, inactive, or uncaring. God never forsakes his own, and he never fails to deliver what he has promised. The assumption that we can’t see evidence of his presence or care does not mean he is not present and at work.

I think one of the reasons the book of Esther is in the Bible is to teach us this lesson. Esther is one book of the Bible that does not mention God’s name. This has troubled many people, but it shouldn’t because there are evidences of God’s power, presence, and care for his people throughout this little Old Testament book. God works in the shadows to cause Esther to rise to prominence in order to preserve his people. In so doing, God gives hope to the world, because out of those people the Savior would come and ultimately make new again everything broken by sin. Without Esther, the Jewish people would have been destroyed, and there would have been no birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem, no righteous life of Jesus, no substitutionary death, no victorious resurrection, and no ascension to the Father to intercede for his own. The world would have been trapped in sin and doomed with no hope.

The amazing outcome of the story of Esther cannot and should not be attributed to human initiative, wisdom, and ingenuity alone. Behind everything, God is controlling circumstances, working in people’s hearts, and determining outcomes. We should be thankful for Mordecai and Esther, but God is the ultimate hero of this portion of Scripture. His providential care guarantees that his people and his work of redemption will have an eternal and glorious future.

You may not always see God’s hand, but you can rest assured that your Lord never ceases working for your good and his glory. Remember that the God who is active in the light is just as active in the shadows. Even though his name might not appear to be plastered all over your story, he is with you, in you, and for you— and that is reason to rest in his care and give yourself to his work.

Prayer:

O Great God, I know that you are always working. Although I do not always see your hand, help me to trust in you nevertheless. Show me how you have been working the past. Thank you for working out all things for your glory and my good, especially through the salvation of mankind through Christ, in whose name I pray, amen.