The Good We Cannot See

We long to see redemption in our stories

We long to understand what you’re about

You set eternity in our hearts-

But we can only see in part

And sometimes that just causes us to doubt

We have an innate sense of the eternal

There’s  something beyond us for which we long

That thing that is not understood-

Like how you work our pain for Good

At times we get it right but sometimes wrong

For there are times your purposes are hidden

There are times your purposes are veiled.

There are things where we endure-

But we cannot be sure

Why in spite of this, confusion has prevailed

These things may not make sense this side of heaven

Why we long for victory but sense defeat

We long to see God use the pain-

To change our loss into our gain

To know the grace that's flowing from the mercy seat

Help us reckon the reality -

of the good we cannot see

Help us walk by faith and not by sight

Your glory, Lord, will make our way 

So we will follow day by day

Living here within the unseen light

In our trials God’s goodness never changes

At times it might be hard to reconcile 

When the good that we would see-

Is muddied in obscurity

And living in the light of the unseen takes a while

When we are the ones who define what is good

We limit what God’s goodness might avail

We vacillate, our hearts contend

With the Good that God intends

When we wrestle with God we will not prevail.

Help us reckon the reality -

of the good we cannot see

Help us walk by faith and not by sight

Your glory, Lord, will make our way 

So we will follow day by day

Living here within the unseen light

Inspired by an article by Kirsten Black

Ecc 3:11; Genesis 32:22-32

May 2, 2025

Anthony Foster