Unseen Hands of Grace: Rescued by the One We Blame.

A man was walking through a dense forest when he stumbled into a deep pit. The sides were steep, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t climb out. Despair set in as he shouted for help, but no one came. Angry and frustrated, he cursed the forest, the ground, and everything around him, blaming it all for his predicament.

After a while, a wise old man appeared at the edge of the pit. He extended a rope and said, “Take hold, and I’ll pull you out.” The man in the pit looked up skeptically. “Who are you? And why should I trust you? If you were so good, you wouldn’t have let me fall in here in the first place!”

The old man calmly replied, “I’ve been keeping an eye on you from the beginning. I saw you wander toward the pit, but you were too focused on other things to notice my warnings. I tried to guide you away from danger, but you ignored the signs.”

The man in the pit scoffed. “If you knew I was going to fall, why didn’t you just stop me?”

The old man sighed. “You have free will. I can guide and warn, but I cannot force. When you fell, I immediately set out to help you. I sent the birds to sing above you, hoping their sounds would lift your spirits. I made the sunlight shine into this dark place so you could see that you’re not alone. And now, I’ve brought you this rope.”

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”  Isaiah 30:21 (NIV):

God’s guidance is always present, even when we don’t perceive it or acknowledge His hand leading us.

The man crossed his arms, still defiant. “So, I’m supposed to believe you’re helping me now? You let me get into this mess!”

The old man nodded, patient and understanding. “I didn’t let you get into this mess. You chose your path, but I’ve been with you through it all. It’s up to you to take the rope. I won’t force you, but I won’t leave you either.”

After a long pause, the man begrudgingly grabbed the rope, and the old man pulled him out with steady strength. As the man stood on solid ground again, he noticed how many cuts and bruises he had. Looking back at the pit, he saw the thorns, rocks, and roots that could have caused him far more harm. He realized the way he fell was somehow cushioned, sparing him from more serious injuries.

He turned to the old man, confusion and a hint of gratitude in his eyes. “Why would you go through all this trouble for me, even when I was blaming you?”

“The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” Psalm 121:7-8 (ESV

The old man smiled gently. “Because you’re worth it. I’ve been helping you all along, even when you didn’t see it. And I’ll keep doing so, no matter what you believe about me.”

The man walked away from the pit, thoughtful. For the first time, he considered that maybe, just maybe, the one he had been blaming was actually the very one who had been helping him all along.

The parable illustrates how people sometimes blame God for the hardships they face, not realizing that He’s been present, guiding, and offering help in unseen ways. It’s easy to attribute misfortune to the absence of goodness, but sometimes the very presence we reject is the one pulling us through.

“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”  Romans 2:4 (NIV

God has made countless promises to His people, promises of peace, hope, healing, and abundant life. Why hold back from receiving those blessings when you can see that He is always reaching out, persistently calling, like a faithful friend who never stops trying to connect?

Perhaps today, you could respond differently. Imagine yourself as an unanswered phone call, with God patiently on the other end, waiting for you to pick up. Maybe today, you can silence the doubt and say, “I might be wrong. Let’s talk.” Because the moment you open your heart, even just a little, you’ll find that God’s line has always been open, His hand always extended, ready to lead you into the fullness of His promises.

© 2024 Amanda Allen. All rights reserved.

Please share this message with a hurting world and respectfully direct readers back to Kingdom Revelations. www.KingdomRevelations.com