Trusting the Unseen

So much of what is going on in my life right now, especially concerning our adoption, is unseen. Unseen people doing unseen things with unseen papers in a country we've never been in, all so that we can adopt a child we've never met. Of course, all of those places and people can be seen by someone, as they do exist in the "natural" realm. Still, there is remains an element of "trusting the unseen" in all of this.

Of course, I am trusting in the One Whom I know to be real (though He remains unseen) to guide and direct it all. The degree to which I'm really trusting Him is what effects my stress level each day, I suppose. Admittedly, that's a struggle for me at times. SO much of this process is "unseen," at least by me. I know that someone, somewhere (and most of all the Someone Who's everywhere) sees it... but I can't see it. And some days that's maddening. But it needn't be, and shouldn't be. And it remains a great object lesson for the Christian walk.

Amy Carmichael, in her book Gold By Moonlight, says:

"No Christian man or woman was ever meant to walk on the natural plane. There is no provision made for such a walk. Always, God's promise is that His child will break through and live and endure as if he were seeing only the workings of the invisible world, not fixed on physical senses. God himself made full provision for us to live this way: 'My grace is more than enough...' (2 Corinthians 12:9)"

The Hem of His Garment

"And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak;
for she was saying to herself, "If I only touch His garment, I will get well." Matthew 9:20-21

"Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured." Mark 6:56

I love reading these passages. I love the imagery they bring to mind of people earnestly, desperately seeking to be near Jesus. I love how just a believing touch of the very hem of his robe was all it took to make someone whole in a particular area of suffering or sin. What a vivid picture of His power, love, and tenderness. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had that today? If Jesus Himself were going to be passing through my town today I would throw all else aside, grab my children (and probably the rest of my loved ones!) and run to where He would be. I even think I would push through the crowd and try to get a touch, just the smallest touch, of His garment.

We can do that today. We can do that everyday. We can do it throughout each day. In fact, it's happened to me. Perhaps it's happened to you, too. What a glorious moment that is! Have you ever been reading your Bible or devotional book (hopefully one that is steeped in Scripture), or been praying and felt an immediate change? An unexplainable peace? Or perhaps new, immediate clarity or conviction? That's it. That's the hem of His robe.

Amy Carmichael, in her book Thou Givest- They Gather ,says:

"We touch Him and all is changed.
What happens and who can tell how it happens?
We only know that something has passed from Him to us. For example:

• Courage to do the difficult task we feared.
• Patience to bear with that one particular trying person.
• Inner strength to go on when we were sure we could not.
• A sweet freshness in our spirit, complete inner happiness, deep-flowing peace."

She continues, "God's way of passing by, of letting His "hem" come near us, is to take some single word in His Book and make it breathe spirit and life to us. Then, relying upon that word-- meditating, feeding our soul on it-- we find it is suddenly possible to go from strength to strength."

There is nothing like it, is there? As we face the new challenges that await us each new week and each new day, we can choose, as Carmichael says, to "go on with God." He is always passing by. We have His Word, always there for us, ready to meet us wherever we are and carry us the next step, give us the next direction, help us in our struggles, convict us of our sin and point us to His cleansing, and reveal more to us about the nature and character of our great God.

Have you touched the hem of His robe today? Oh, how I hope you have. Let's push through the busy-ness and the pressing issues and get to the feet of Jesus.