“There, you saw (in the wilderness), how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his child, all along the road you have travelled until you reached this place.” (Deut. 1:31)
Father, I have too often failed to see and feel Your steady, guiding hand along the way, your arm firm around my shoulder, holding me close. Yet being here now and reflecting back on my life, I can’t help but recognize so many God-filled moments. Your providence is constant and unfailing. You were with me and my missionary brothers through the anti-Christian riots in India (1989-91) and You stayed with us through the coup d’etat and collapse of the Soviet Union in Ukraine-Russia (1991-92). And You have protected me under Your wing more times than I can recall.
My God and Father, open the eyes of my heart. Fill me with a constant awareness and gratitude of the closeness of You. You are closer to me than the marrow in my bones, more constant than the beating of my heart, the certainty of my next breath, or my deepest and hidden-most thoughts. You know me far more perfectly than I know myself.
“But surely He sees how I behave; does He not count my every single step?” (Job 31:4) Yes, and every breath and so much more!
Written during my missionary time in Eastern Europe, 14 December, 1996, Moscow, Russia