Our Father Watches over Us
And He drives out the enemy from before you and says, "Destroy!"
Deuteronomy 33:27 (The Scriptures 1998)
I'm part Cherokee, so I found this story interesting. I've heard that the rite-of-passage into adulthood for a Cherokee Indian boy is for his father to take him into the forest, blindfold him, and leave him alone. To pass the test, he is required to sit on a stump or log all night and not remove the blindfold until the morning sun shines through it.
He cannot cry out for help to anyone. If he survives the night, he is a man. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each youngster must come into manhood on his own.
Obviously, the boy is terrified. Being in the dark and blindfolded, his mind plays tricks on him. As the wind blows the grass and trees, he hears all kinds of noises. He thinks wild animals must surely be all around him. But he must sit still, no matter what, and never remove the blindfold. This is the only way he can become a man.
Finally, after a fearful night, the sun appears and he can remove his blindfold. Then . . . he discovers his father sitting next to him. Without the boy knowing, his father has been there the entire night, protecting him from anything that might cause harm.
Whether it's true or not, I don't know. But, it has a very good lesson for all of us. Even though the Cherokee youth couldn't see his father sitting next to him, his father was indeed there, ready to fight for his son. We, too, have our heavenly Father with us all the time. The truth is that we are never alone!
don't be afraid, neither be dismayed:
for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9 (World English Bible)
...He (God) Himself has said,
"I will not in any way fail you nor give you up
nor leave you without support. (I will) not...
in any degree leave you helpless, nor forsake
nor let (you) down (relax My hold on you). Assuredly not!"
Hebrews 13:5b (Amplified Bible)
Even when we don't know it . . . . when we feel all alone . . . . when we don't feel His presence, our Heavenly Father is sitting next to us, watching over us. When any trouble comes, all we have to do is be still and reach out to Him.
This thought brings to mind one of my mother's favorite songs....
Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart feel so lonely,
And long for heaven and home?
When Jesus is my portion,
My constant friend is He.
His eye is in on the sparrow,
And I know he watches me!
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know he watches me!
I sing because I'm happy,
I sing because I'm free!
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me!
Rest assured, precious child, that He watches over you and is ever-present to provide for you. What a wonderful God we serve! He alone is worthy of our praise. HalleluYAH!
