The God Who's Always Working: Remembering God's Caring Guidance

“I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.”

—Isaiah 42:16 NIV

As Christians, we hold the eternal hope of heaven, yet are tasked with trudging through our day-by-day lives on this side of eternity.

It can bring us hope and joy to be reminded that God is always working. We get to step forward in whatever he is calling us to do because we have faith that he is by our side.

Friend, he hears your prayers. He knows your fears. He meets you with compassion and will not forsake you on your journey.

When things feel unsatisfying or incomplete, don’t forget that it’s good for your heart to hope for the glories of heaven—for perfection, beauty, and happiness. It’s what you were destined for.

It’s normal to be burdened by the “not yet” of this world, and to be perplexed by your present standing in a complex, eternal story.

Just remember, the best you can, that these times of uncertainty and pain are momentary. They are fleeting. They are building up to a more beautiful part of the story.

I have seen the burden that God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work that God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:10-11 NIV

God’s ways of working are high and mighty, and yet he draws near to the lowly.

Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar. Psalm 138:6 NIV

God is working in your life, and he hears you. He cares about what’s going on. Keep praying. Keep taking steps forward.

Because he bends down to listen,
I will pray as long as I have breath! Psalm 116:2 NLT

There is a beautiful invitation held out to you—to offer Jesus your “yes” in the most faith-filled way you’re able to today. There is an invitation to find peace in the unknown circumstances, and to take one brave step forward at a time, in whatever God is calling you to next.

Your understanding of your circumstances doesn’t need to be a prerequisite to stepping forward. Just like the verse from Isaiah 42 written at the top of this devotional, we can trust Jesus to hold our hand and lead us, even in times of blindness.

Again, we are given that reminder in Proverbs 3:5-6, here in the NIV:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

We can step forward in the faith that God is always working. We can find rest in believing that he hears our prayers and cares for us.

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To take a deep dive on this topic—of how God is with us in the all the highs and lows of our stories—there is more to read at the link below. We will break open our Bibles and explore the moment when Jesus miraculously feeds 5,000 people (and look at the many not-so-miraculous moments leading up to it). I think you’ll find it encouraging. Hope to see you there!