Hebrews 13:5 – God Himself has said, “I will not fail you or desert you,” and so we can say with confidence, “With the Lord to help me, I fear nothing.” (Jerusalem Bible)

I received a phone call from my sister, aged 89, alone for a week at the family cottage. The beauty of her words inspired these thoughts.

She said, “It is now night, and I am looking out at the lake. I can see nothing but the blackness of the night. But I think to myself, I know that the lake in all its beauty is still there in the darkness. Like God’s love, it is there, even when we find it hardest to see it or to trust it.”

I am reminded of the words scribbled on the wall of the cellar of a bombed house in one of the war-torn cities of Germany, found by American troops when they entered, searching for snipers. A victim of the holocaust had drawn a Star of David, and, beneath it, had written these words:

I believe in the sun — even when it does not shine

I believe in love — even when it is not shown;

I believe in God — even when He does not speak.

As David said, “Though I pass through a gloomy valley, I fear no harm; your rod and your staff are there to hearten me.”

Prayer: O Lord our God, in Jesus You have come to us as a friend Who will never forsake us. We thank You, and we rejoice in the assurance of Your presence, even when we cannot see its evidence with our mortal eyes. We will walk and not be afraid. Amen.

Harold Moddle hdmoddle@sympatico.ca Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada