BLINDFOLD

I will never leave you nor forsake you." Joshua 1:5

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of Passage?

His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone.
Once he survives the night, he is a MAN. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own.
The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man! Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm. We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, God is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.

Moral of the story: Just because you can't see God, doesn't mean He is not there. "For we walk by faith, not by sight."

Irrespective of Blessings

(Taken from Luke 1)

Luke 1:6&7
“Both of them [Zechariah & Elizabeth] were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children...”

Here we have a couple, both serving God & walking blamelessly in His ways. They kept His commandments. They were obedient... yet she was barren. They did not have the blessing of children.

But then their prayers were answered late in their years (v.13), way beyond the point where human logic would have it. And I’m sure that once heard, they cared not for the timing of God, but rejoiced in his providence.

Point to ponder: Judging from their character- one can see that they would have served God even if He never blessed them with a child.
We would do well to notice that serving God with all our heart, for all our earthly years should happen in spite of the blessings He gives, or withholds. Even though we might be “barren” [empty, desolate, bleak, unfruitful, unproductive] – we can still walk in His ways and trust Him.

Prayer:
God – this is a deep, spiritual maturity to have. I want to have such a heart... to serve You, irrespective of your blessings. Thank you for the blessing of answered prayer. Please give me faith to trust You in times when you do not answer, or when your answer is “No.”