Daily Affirmations - Day 1- Have You Not Heard?: Hidden Way

Have You Not Heard?: Hidden Way

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Day 1: Hidden Way

As a child, I read a translation of Das Blumenkörbchen, (The Basket of Flowers) by Christoph Von Schmid. It was a deeply moving story of a young girl, Mary, who lived with her father, James, in Eichbourg—a village in Germany. James was a gardener in the beautiful grounds of the estate of the Count of Eichbourg.

I cried buckets of tears as I followed Mary’s story from a life of simple joy and security among beautiful flowers and trees through injustice and difficulty, pain, and sorrow.

Through an extended period of hardship, Mary leaned heavily on the lessons of faith and the foundations of trust her father had taught her in the early days:

In the beauty of the various flowers which adorned their garden, in the charming variety of their shapes, in the perfection of their proportions, in the glory of their colors, and in the sweetness of their perfumes, he taught Mary to see the power and wisdom and goodness of God.[i]

The appeal to strong foundations of trust in turbulent times is not merely for storybook heroines. The Lord Jesus, in the parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders (Matthew 7:24-27) speaks of the inability of raging storms and crashing elements to topple the house built on a strong foundation.

The Psalmist Asaph also writes of similar reliance on lessons of faith and foundations of trust through times of doubt and despair, distress and discouragement:

I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands, and I would not be comforted…

I remembered my songs in the night.

My heart meditated and my spirit asked: “Will the Lord reject forever? Will He never show His favor again? Has His unfailing love vanished forever? Has His promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has He in anger withheld His compassion?”

Then I thought, “To this I will appeal: the years when the Most High stretched out His right hand. I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago. I will consider all Your works and meditate on all Your mighty deeds” (Psalm 77: 1-2; 7-12)

For all of us, difficult times will come—at times sustained and overwhelming. We may feel like the people of Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God” (Isaiah 40:27). But God still today reassures us that He is Creator, Sustainer, Preserver:

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:28-31).

Our storybook heroine Mary lived in the light of such hope and trust:

From the midst of thorns, I plucked these rosebuds; and thus I know that joy will come to me from the very troubles that now cause me pain. If I had attempted to unfold the leaves of these rosebuds, they would have perished; but God with a delicate finger had gradually unfolded their purple cups and shed over them the sweet perfume of His breath. He can disperse…evils…and make…turn to… good which seemed all evil.[i]

I pray that In our own “garden seasons,” among the flowers and trees God so richly provides (1 Timothy 6:17), we gather much by way of faith and foundation, so that, like Mary, our basket of flowers will give us hope in times of struggle and despair. And may our trust in God’s unfailing love allow us to soar above the storms.

[i] Citation: von Schmid, Christoph. The Basket of Flowers. Translated by J. H. St. A. SAT Publications, 1996.

Daisies are our silver,

Buttercups our gold:

This is all the treasure

We can have or hold.

Raindrops are our diamonds

And the morning dew;

While for shining sapphires

We’ve the speedwell blue.

These shall be our emeralds –

Leaves so new and green;

Roses make the reddest

Rubies ever seen.

God, who gave these treasures

To your children small,

Teach us how to love them

And grow like them all.

Make us bright as silver,

Make us good as gold;

Warm as summer roses,

Let our hearts unfold.

~ Jan Struther ~ Published 1931