Where We Will Best See Him

I was reading a section from Geoffrey Bull's God Holds the Key yesterday, and his perspective gave me a lot to think about: "To see the King in His beauty must be our one desiring; to hunger, thirst and take our fill of Him. And if He makes us stand in some obscure and darkened corner of His palace yard, we can be sure He puts us there because from that distinct advantage we, with our present stature, will behold Him best whenever He comes passing by."

Read that last sentence again.

God places us in the one corner that will allow us to best see Him, seek Him, know Him. Acts 17:26-27 gives a similar concept: "And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward Him and find Him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us,..."

I must admit that I feel placed in a blessed corner today as though I were standing perhaps near the banquet table in His throne room. Being back in Raleigh, keeping a beautiful baby girl only 4 days a week, and having the freedom to write and hone my craft as never before--not to mention the pure snow outside today--has me sighing in happiness. But three years ago, I would have definitely considered myself to be ash-covered in that far right, dark corner of the outer courtyard.

Now, I don't know how you would describe your seat in the palace today. Maybe you feel very content and happy in the throne room. Maybe this is one of those dark seasons, potentially it seems like a long and unending season. You might find yourself somewhere in between, hovering in the doorway of the throne room but unwilling or unable to choose entrance. But wherever you are, let me speak this truth to you: God is a sovereign and loving Father. He has set you in the absolute best place for you alone to see Him--even if it doesn't seem like that.

I encourage you that this day, this season of life, contains the opportunity to see God in a richer, deeper way than you did yesterday, and by doing so, to love Him more and to truly understand His love for you. And isn't that what life is ultimately about?


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Bull, Geoffrey. God Holds the Key. Chicago: Moody Press, 1959.