God doesn’t always show off in the way we want, the way we ask, the way we hope.
But He does give us many promises in the midst of our disappointments.

We believe Jesus when He tells us to seek and we will find, ask and we will receive, knock and the door will be opened to us. We trust our prayers are heard. We have faith in God, who loves us and promises to never leave us or forsake us, that He has plans for us to, to give us hope and a future, to prosper us and that nothing can separate us from His love.

But then,
Life.
Trials.
Struggles.
Uncertainties.
Disappointments,
Unpleasant surprises.

We are waiting for Him to show off. With the miracle. The answer. The victory. We wonder, where is the good God promises?
Why isn’t He showing up and showing off the way we know He can?

Will we trust Him?
Will we say as Paul did, we are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair? (2 Corinthians 4:8)

Can we rejoice in our confident hope, be patient in trouble, and keep on praying? (Romans 12:12)

Can we trust God and say, “O Lord, You are our Father. We are the clay and You are the potter. We are formed by Your hand?” (Isaiah 65”8) Do we have faith in God when He says “As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand.” (Jeremiah 18:3)

Do we trust Him, whatever comes our way? And whatever doesn’t?

I love the the rock formations as we drove through the canyons. At the top of the cliffs, the sides have been sheared away and at the base of each lies a pile of rubble. As the dirt and rock crumbled away, beautiful patterns and striations in the stone emerge from beneath.

Its as if God has chiseled the rock away, slowly removing that which isn’t for His glory, to reveal the beauty and His glory beneath.

When I lament the problems in the life, I have to ask, do I trust our Father’s wisdom when He doesn’t answer the way I want Him to, when He doesn’t provide what I asked for, when He doesn’t give what I hoped for. Do I trust Him in the trials to chisel away that which isn’t for His glory in order to reveal the beauty and His glory beneath? Do I trust Him to give what’s good and withhold what isn’t?

When I’m waiting for Him to show off, I have to ask myself, which do I desire more, the Giver or His gifts?