Look at this picture, the mountains, the forest, the water in the foreground, trees, bush, grass - we took this picture on the way up to Liard Hot Springs. It is a beautiful shot, whenever I drive through the mountains I think to myself, God created such beauty and majesty, I do not know how people can not acknowledge God with the beauty all around them.

But it struck me suddenly as I looked at this picture what is not there.

What do I mean by that? We look at the overall picture the beautiful landscape. Up on those mountains, there are probably deer, moose, there might even be mountain goats, or mountain sheep. Possibly as well, squirrels, birds, chipmunks, cougars, bears, and in the water we can not see the fish, the beavers, the otters, or the muskrats. Just because they do not show up in the photograph and we cannot see them, does it mean they are not there? Of course not.

It is kind of like that saying, if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it does it make a sound? Of course it makes a sound, any tree coming down, makes a sound.

Just because you cannot see the animals, it does not mean they are not there. God pressed upon me that He is in charge of every animal in that forest. He knows what they are going through, He knows what they need to survive, He knows the food they need to eat, He knows where to have their babies, when to have their babies and where to get shelter from the storms. He has got that all under control, and just because I cannot see it does not mean He is not working there just like it does not mean the animals are not there either.

In my life, when I cannot see the hand of God, when I cannot feel the hand of God, do I believe God is working? Or like this picture do I take it on face value and say nice picture, it is just a bunch of trees and water, without knowing the true depth of what the human eye cannot see.

What about when life "hits"? Last week we talked about grief, the emotional toils of life losses which inevitably will happen. I wonder where God is.

For me, in my life, sometimes I have to look at the bigger picture. I have to get outside my box, get outside what my eyes can see and focus on what God has said. He has said He would take care of the animals of the field (Job 38). He said if a swallow falls to the ground He knows it (Matthew 10:29). He knows the hairs on our head (Luke 12:7). He said He would take care of me.

Will I continue to believe and walk in faith when I cannot see His unseen presence with my human eyes?

Hmmmm good question!