“O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place? How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and
“O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place? How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servant, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries?”
That heaven sent prayer fell from the lips of Joseph Smith as he sought so desperately for understanding of life’s events that were raging around him. It is a prayer that could easily be uttered by many of Earth’s inhabitants today. As that prayer is offered, do we wonder if it falls on deaf ears? In point of fact, does God care? In a world of countless faces, who am I?
As Jesus Christ walked the Earth, he did so among the simple and humble. His mission was like no other, for he came to represent his father above, even the eternal father. Out of the abundance of His heart he sought out the poor, the downtrodden, the widows, the little children.
He spoke to farmers and fishermen, and those who tended goats and sheep; to strangers and foreigners, the rich and the politically powerful. He ministered to the poor, the hungry, the deprived and the sick. His mission has not changed, for he lives! He still seeks out the same.
Then, as now, he genuinely loves us, and his heart yearns to ease our burdens. Did he not say that even a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his Father knowing? We believe in Jesus Christ, but do we believe him? He said we are worth more than many sparrows? Do we believe him?
The Psalmist once wrote, “Many there be which say of my soul, there is no help for him in God.” But there is help in God! It is always there, for each of us, irrespective of a million voices crying otherwise, no matter what battles we face. While our lives are often fraught with pain and anguish, loneliness, discouragement, even despair, still the voice of the Master will come quietly to our souls, “Be still, and know that I am God.” He is the lifter of our heads, the balm of Gilead to our souls. The one who calms the waves of the seas can surely calm the waves of our lives if we will but seek him and accept his help.
In answer to that humble prayer Joseph uttered those many years ago came the voice of a loving Father to a hurting son; “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high.”
It is the mission of the savior to bring us safely home, to exalt us on high. He has the power to do so. There is no pavilion covering his face, His hand is not stayed. He lives! He loves! He answers!
• Craig Lindquist is a Lihue business owner and regular contributor to The Garden Island.
