26 February | EVERYONE
«The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.» Deuteronomy 29:29
Edson was sad, overwhelmed by existential resentment, and consumed by a strong pain that afflicted him in the deepest part of his heart. His three-year-old son had died, hit by a drunk driver, and Edson did not understand where God’s protective love was.
As we walk through the desert of this life, we will often face the mystery of pain. In Deuteronomy chapter 29, Moses, by divine command, summons the people and reminds them of the amazing way in which He delivered them from the enslaving power of Egypt. And how, over the course of forty years, He did not abandon them. “And I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn out on your feet” (v. 5).
Moses also reminded the Israelites how the Lord made them pass unharmed amid the dangers and snares of the wilderness. Enemy countries that did not give them permission to cross their lands, evil kings who persecuted and harassed them, but God never abandoned them. Now, they were approaching the borders of Canaan, and although God had protected them up to that moment, they might encounter adversity. In the face of these apparent mysteries, Moses warns them: “the secret things belong to the Lord our God.”
There are difficult circumstances in life for which we have no explanation; as well as questions that remain unanswered. Give God the right to be God! He has sovereign control over everything and everyone. He loves you and will eventually take you to the safe harbor.
Take Action
Surrender your pains, frustrations, and sorrows to God today without obsessing over the whys. Even if you lack answers, live with the certainty that everything will end well in the end. Sing “The Secret Things” (if possible, with your family).