When it appears that God is silent…

Sometimes it’s easy to feel alone. We serve a God who is not seen with  human eyes, so during troubling times our faith is prone to waver (John 1:18; Hebrews 11:1). This was the situation for the Israelites when they were in slavery down in Egypt. As their lives grew increasingly difficult they cried out to God. From their perspective heaven’s answer to their pain and difficulty was nothing but silence. But two verses pulls back the curtain, and let us peek into heaven for greater understanding.

And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God saw the people of Israel—and God knew (Exodus 2:24-25).

God heard
       God remembered.
               God saw
                      God knew.

Four words that give us great hope when times are hard.

God hears the cries of your heart. He knows when you’re groaning in fear or pain. You may think you’re alone in a dark place, but God hears.

God remembered his promise to Abraham, and God remembers his promise to you. When he said he would never leave you nor forsake you, he meant it (Hebrews 13:5). When he promised he’d be faithful to complete the work he began in you, he won’t forget it (Phiippians 1:6). God remembers his promises.

God saw the injustice. He was aware that the nation of Israel was being treated poorly, and he was moving to make it right. While the Israelites couldn’t see him moving, he could see them suffering. God saw, and he was about to do something about it.

God knew. This is the word that brings the greatest comfort. The text simply says, God knew. God knew everything that needed to be done: the beginning, the in-between, and the end. When I am confused, I find hope in this truth.  God knows my challenge, God knows the best way to bring me through it, and God knows what to do.

Encouragement when you feel anxious or hopeless: God heard, God remembered, God saw, and God knew.

And he still does.