Thursday, January 16

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I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me.

—Psalm 119:19

I have a friend who, along with her husband, creates a scavenger hunt for her children each Christmas. All three kids wake up full of squeals on Christmas morning, equally excited by the gifts themselves and by the adventurous prospect of finding them. The parents make five different clues for each kid, leading them on a trail through the house until they finally end up somewhere in the family room. The clues vary depending on the age of each kid: for the littlest one, the clue might be something simple, like “Sliding door,” and for the older kids it might be something more sophisticated, like “Behind a two-letter appliance” (the TV).

I’m always eager to get the report about their adventure after Christmas, and one of my favorite parts is hearing how much fun my friend and her husband had putting it together. They delight in creating the hunt and watching their children’s faces as they decipher each clue. While the gifts may be hidden temporarily, they hide them not with the intention of depriving their beloved children of good things but rather out of the joy of watching their children discover their treasures. And in the process, as they help their children with each clue and guide them along the way, their relationships are deepened. After all, the gifts aren’t truly hidden—they are only hidden to the children. The parents are the answer key.

So it is with our heavenly Father. While sometimes it feels like the way is hidden and righteousness is too elusive a goal to grasp, God has all the answers. He sees the beginning and the end; he knows the way.

Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
    that I may follow it to the end.

—Psalm 119:33

Sometimes doing the right thing comes with an immediate reward—a word of approval from a friend or a positive change in circumstances or simply an internal sense of satisfaction over doing the right thing. But other times we have to keep choosing the way of righteousness during a long season when we get no feedback or reward. During those times, the way seems hidden and God may appear to be silent. There are no accolades; no answered prayers; no warm, fuzzy feelings.

Maybe you’ve been faithfully taking care of a loved one whose health is declining, and that person can no longer express gratitude the way he or she once could. Or maybe you’re a mother who was been doing the same thankless tasks over and over again—cleaning messes, shuttling kids from place to place, and instructing your children in the way of the Lord—and no one seems to notice. Maybe you’re an employee who has been doing your job excellently and with integrity for years while less upright coworkers move up the ranks. Maybe you continue to share Christ’s love with your friends and family members, but you’re not seeing any softening of their hearts.

This is when the righteous rubber hits the road. It’s these times—when we don’t see results, when all seems futile, when the blessings aren’t obvious—that determine how committed we are to living by the way of righteousness.

When the way seems hidden to us, may we remember that our Father is our guide, and nothing is hidden for him.

In what areas of your life does God seem hidden? What keeps you persevering in righteousness even when you grow weary?

—Stephanie Rische