Hidden Majesty
The Leprosy Mission produces an internal daily devotional guide, The Bridge, for use in offices, hospitals, clinics and projects around the world. Current and former staff and trustees from many countries contribute to the guide. We will share with you contributions made by one of our team.
Earlier this year I had the chance to visit Pokhara in Nepal to visit Green Pastures Hospital. Green Pastures is run by the International Nepal Fellowship and is one of our partner projects.
For weeks before my trip people were telling me about how beautiful Pokhara is. Friends told me about the amazing chain or mountains – the Annapurna range – that tower above the town. Several people specifically mentioned Machapuchare, the fish tail mountain, which is apparently particularly impressive.
I was already looking forward to my trip but all these recommendations just heightened my expectations.
On the little, unpressurised, plane I was sitting on the wrong side to get a good view mountains from the air but surely the view from the ground would be just as impressive. Wouldn’t it?
Pokhara town and the lake are a lovely place to visit, but for 4 days it was surrounded by hazy clouds. Warm and sunny in the town but invisible, hidden mountains.
I saw the work of an amazing hospital with a great staff team. I saw picture postcards in the shops. People told me all about the beautiful mountains and the fact that you can see a massive tiger’s face on one of them. But they were hidden from me.
In Psalm 13, David feels like God has hidden his face from him. He feels sorrowful and weak, as if his enemies will defeat him.
But even in his despair he finds he can trust in God’s unfailing love, rejoice and sing praises.
In times when life feels surrounded by haze and clouds, when God seems hidden from us, remember that just because it’s cloudy doesn’t mean the mountain isn’t there.
Our past experiences of him, the faith of others and what we can read of him in the Bible can help us to have faith, like David, and to sing his praises through the clouds.
Clouds are temporary and there will be other days when we can see him, crystal clear, like a snow-capped mountain in the sun.