When God Hides His Face

6 And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. 7 LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.

Think about a relationship that you had with a friend or family member? It was a great relationship. They were there for you, and the company they provided always seemed to uplift you in moments when everything was falling apart around you. You claimed this person to be your best friend, and the type relationship you two had confirmed the validity of that title. Everyone knew that they had your back and you had theirs. If you know anything about relationships then you know that problems do occur. It may not be your fault, but problems do occur. Someone in the relationship may not have full understanding of the situation, but problems do occur. An outside source may be trying to cause conflict in you and the other person’s relationship, but problems do occur. Even in our relationship with God, problems do occur. But we can rest assure when problems occur in our relationship with God; it’s never God’s fault.

Sometimes these problems can cause one person to step away from the relationship. When one steps away from the relationship, they’re saying, “I’m fed up.” Often times people remove themselves in order to teach the other person a lesson. Whatever the reason is, someone will be hurt or troubled because of the change in the relationship. When that person who kept you company is gone, it hurts. When the one who you were so use of being around is no longer there, you become troubled. When you can’t see the smiles that once brought you laughter and joy, you feel distressed. If these pains can be felt from the result of someone removing him or herself out of a human relationship, then imagine how one must feel when God hides his face.

In our selected scriptures, we find David in a situation and condition like the ones we just described. You know David, the little sheppard boy Samuel anointed ask King of Israel at an early age. David, the one who took his sling and slew the giant named Goliath. David; Jonathan’s best friend. David; who slept with Bathsheba, and had her husband Uriah killed. Although David had a life of ups and downs, he still was called a man after God’s own heart. This wasn’t because David was so righteous or perfect, but David always sought the Lord no matter what mess he found himself in. No matter how good or bad things were going in his life, David had a seeking heart for God. David always had a repentant heart and wanted to always be pleasing to God. This is even evident in the passages were looking at today. David finds himself in a situation where God has hidden his face from him. What a situation to be in; when the creator of the universe hides his face. When the world is already dark and filled with sin, but God hides his face. When he is all you have to depend on, but God’s face is hidden. Someone may ask, “Why would a loving God do such a thing?” Before a question like that even part someone’s lips, self-examination should take place. I guarantee you that if God hides his face from you, there will be no error on his part for doing so.

What led God to hide his face from David? Our answer can be found in verse 6 when David said, “And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.” What is this? Can David being showing signs of too much pride? Does David really think he’s immune to downfalls? David just finished praising God, and it seemed as though David knew that God was his provider and not he himself. Listen to David’s praise to God right before he made his boastful statement, “1 I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. David not only praised God, but he highly praised God that his enemies didn’t overtake him. 2 O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. Not only did God hear his cry, but he healed him and David praised him for that. 3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Not only did God save him from the grave by sparing his life, but also from the pit to save his soul and David was doubly thankful for that. 4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. He encouraged others to worship God when his holiness is thought of. 5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Weeping all night is common for the restless heart. But when we lay those burdens at the feet of Christ, The Sun of Righteousness, joy comes in the morning to relieve us of that burden.