What does it mean to be held, led and well-cared for by God? Do you ever wrestle with that question? When life isn’t going as you’d hoped, or your facing an overwhelming situation, do the truths you know cognitively—like, God is loving, attentive, all-powerful and kind—feel a bit shaky?
I land in that place often, although thankfully, less frequently, and intensely, than in the past—because I’ve experienced the Lord’s faithfulness, including in situations where I didn’t ask for His help, or know I needed it.
Years ago, while researching a book, I decided to drive about four hours to visit a friend who happened to live in an area similar to the fictional town I was creating. And so, one week day morning, I dropped our daughter off at school and headed for I-70. Bored after a couple hours on that long stretch of highway, I called my sister and quickly got swept into an engaging conversation.
When suddenly—and this all happened simultaneously—a blur of movement swept through my peripheral, a sense of calm rested upon me, a jolt shot through me as my vehicle collided with the blur of fur I now know was a coyote or wolf sprinting across the road, followed by a plume of smoke rising from the front of my vehicle.
Everything felt slow motion as I veered to the shoulder and told me sister, “I better go. I think I just hit something.”
As my thinking brain slowly came back online, I realized the Lord had likely saved my life. Here’s how. Prior to that collision, I’d been traveling at 70, maybe 75 miles an hour, with a long string of equally fast-moving vehicles behind me. Had I been more alert to the poor animal racing toward me, and in front of me, I probably would’ve slammed on my breaks, creating a multi-care pile up that could’ve resulted in numerous lives lost.
Instead, I fell almost into something of a daze that prevented me from reacting … until the moment had past and I could safely, and smoothly, veer out of traffic.
Looking back, I can’t help but see the hand of Ruach Elohim, the Spirit of God, in action. The Hebrew word ruach can mean spirit, breath or wind. Throughout Scripture, we see God’s Spirit bringing order to chaos, strength to weakness and life where none seemed possible. Perhaps on that stretch of interstate, He was doing what He has always done—quietly at work, long before I thought to reach for Him.
Protecting me when I didn’t know I needed protection.
I’m grateful that He revealed His hand in that situation, as it strengthened my faith by deepening my trust. It showed me that He is faithful, always—when I ask for His help, and when I don’t. And it make me wonder, how often does He shield or redirect me from danger, without me knowing?
I suspect, often.
The first time we encounter Ruach Elohim, the Spirit of God hovers over dark and tumultuous waters to bring order, beauty and life. That same Spirit remains at work within us—quietly strengthening, guiding and caring for us in ways we might not recognize in the moment.
And because Scripture makes it clear, He holds no favorites, I believe He does the same for you. That doesn’t mean He’ll respond to you or your situation in the same way. I don’t always understand what He does or allows from one situation or person to another. But this I know: He loves and cares for each of us with the same intensity. To quote my cohost (who quoted someone else), He loves each of us with all the love there is, and His Spirit is always with us, working on our behalf, and moving toward us.
In her book, Names of God: Growing Strong, my friend and recent Faith Over Fear guest wrote, “Ruach Elohim remains steadfast, overcomes the darkness, and brings calm to our chaos.” Or as was the case in my near multi-car pileup, brings the calm that keeps the chaos away.
Now, please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying we’ll never feel anxious, afraid or chaotic. We’re humans, with a full range of emotions, some more intense and unpleasant than others. I’ve experienced numerous other frightening driving experiences during which I didn’t sense God’s presence.
But even then, He remains faithful. Present, watching, loving, leading and protecting, when we’re aware that He’s doing so, and when we’re so caught up in our anxious spiral we don’t have the mental bandwidth to even consider Him at all.
Maybe that’s the point. Maybe that’s where trust is built—not in our ability to navigate this confusing and complex relationship with all-powerful yet full of mercy and grace Creator God—but in His ability to meet us in our mess and gently lead us one step closer in our connection with Him.
I’d love to hear from you. How do you navigate the tension between what you know to be true about God’s love and care and what you experience emotionally in difficult seasons?
Speaking of Ruach Elohim, if you are interested in getting to know more of God, and how to find strength in Him, through His names revealed in Scripture, make sure to listen to my recent conversation with Grace on the Faith Over Fear podcast. Find that episode, titled, “How to Experience Strength for Overwhelming Assignments Through the Names of God.”
