I recently heard of a tribe of American Indians who have a peculiar way of celebrating the passage from childhood to youth. The ritual is based on the father taking the son into the forest, blindfolded and leaving him alone. The son is obliged to sit on a log all night without removing the blindfold until the sun rises.

The child is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises: wild beasts roaming around him, or perhaps some human who might harm him. He must remain seated on the log, without removing his blindfold, as this is the only way he can become a man.

he will be able to become a man. Finally, after a long and horrible night, the sun appears and when he takes off his blindfold, the boy discovers that his father was sitting next to him, for he had watched over him.

He had watched over him all night to protect him from all dangers.

This beautiful story can be applied to your daily life. Are you going through a dark night where you do not know if you will be able to see a new dawn? Do you feel alone and abandoned by everyone and even by God Himself? When a trial is prolonged it tends to deplete our reserves of joy, faith and strength to such an extent that we come to question God.

The good news is that God promises he will never leave us nor forsake us. And even if your eyes can’t see his hand, trust his heart. He is always there.

I want to invite you right now to take a deep breath and pay close attention to this divine promise in Isaiah 43:1-2:

“Do not be afraid, for I have paid your ransom;

I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through deep waters

I will be with you. When you pass through rivers of trouble

you shall not drown. When you pass through the fire of oppression, you shall not be burned,

you will not be burned; the flames will not consume you”.

God is always there no matter if it is the fire of a trial or a sea of sorrows and discouragement. He is there. The bible says that on one occasion there were 3 boys who were thrown into the fire, but suddenly Jesus appeared to accompany them and protect them from the flames. He is always there.

The Bible tells of a man named Peter who, when he was drowning in the middle of the sea, Jesus appeared to reach out and pull him to safety. For he is always there. Whether it is a sea of troubles or a fire of trials, you can trust that your Heavenly Father is always there. That trial will not be to destroy you but to make you mature and grow in him.

Prayer:

“Lord help me to trust your heart even when I cannot see your hand. Help me to see you in the midst of the flames and the waves. Forgive me when sometimes my faith drowns and my trust turns to ashes. Help me to trust in your sovereignty and in your wisdom, but above all in your heart as a Good Father. In Jesus’ name. Amen.