READ: JOB 40:15-24; PSALMS 57; 142

The young man leaned heavily against the cave’s wall. He gasped for breath, clutching a wound at his side where blood seeped through his shirt and stained his fingers red.

“You promised,” he spat into the empty cave to the God he once trusted. “You told me it was mine, but then you let them take it from me. Now I have nothing.”

He slid down the side of the cave, slumping against the cold stone. His God had promised him he would be king, that he would rule over his war-torn country and bring peace. But the night of his coronation, his cousin overthrew the government, taking the throne and crown for himself. So the young man had fled into the night with only the clothes on his back and the wound in his side. Now he wanted to scream. He was supposed to be king, but here he was, no better than a mouse hiding from a viper. With the last of his strength, he bound up his wound. Then he let the pain and blood-loss pull him into blackness.

He dreamed the North River was flooding its banks, sweeping away homes and fields and livestock. But in the center of the raging water, the great Behemoth stood, unmoving as a mountain. A voice cracked through the vision, “See the beast, standing tall within the rushing water?”

The young man opened his mouth but couldn’t speak.

“Tell me,” the voice continued, “how much more steadfast is the one who created him? My son, do not look at the rushing water. Look instead to the one who is steady within the flood. You may not understand my ways, but know this: What I have promised, I will do.”

The young man woke, gasping. The sun had set. He shivered, and pain lanced through his side. He clenched his fists. When he closed his eyes, he again saw the beast standing still and steady within the raging water. His breathing calmed.

Finally, into the cold, dark cave he said, “I do not understand. But you are God, and what you promise, you will do. Even now, even here, I will trust you.” • Margaret Bellers

• Today’s allegorical story is inspired by the life of David. In 1 Samuel 16, God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint David to be king when he was likely a teenager. However, David did not actually become king for over a decade, during which he faced beasts, giants, bloody battles, and assassination attempts. Even though it didn’t seem like He would, God remained faithful to David, crowning him as king in His perfect timing.

• Can you think of a time in your life when you felt like God wasn’t present or didn’t care about you? Throughout David’s life, he cried out to God, being totally honest about his pain, his sorrow, his anger, and his fears. Consider taking some time to tell God about the hard things you’ve experienced lately. Don’t hold anything back. He can take it.

• Even when David’s life was falling apart, he had hope in God’s promise of a coming Redeemer, an eternal King who would save His people. We now know that this Redeemer is Jesus. It’s easy to feel like God is unfaithful to what He’s promised. We often wonder, Does He really love us like He said? Will He truly never leave or forsake us? Does He actually listen and care for us like a good father? When we look at our circumstances, our answers to these questions will change based on how we feel or what’s happening around us. But when we look at who God is—someone who loved us so much that He died for us (John 3:16), someone who knows and listens to every one of our thoughts (Psalm 139:1-4), someone who keeps track of every single tear that we cry (Psalm 56:8)—we can learn to look beyond our circumstances to the one who stands steady within the flood. In moments when it feels like God has abandoned you, what are some promises in His Word that can remind you of His faithful love?

• If you want to dig deeper, read Psalm 119:90; Matthew 7:9-11; 14:22-33; 28:20; Romans 5:8; 8:35-39; Hebrews 13:5; 1 Peter 5:7; 1 John 3:1; Revelation 21:1-5.

“Behold, if a river overflows, he [behemoth] doesn’t tremble. He is confident, though the Jordan swells even to his mouth.” Job 40:23 (WEB)