“We should see how deeply God hides his face, and how we must not go by our feeling but only by his word.”
— Martin Luther
How deeply God hides his face when we are attacked by obsessions. At that moment it seems as though every bit of our fragile faith, as well as any shreds of rationality, vanishes completely! We become convinced that groundless fears—even those that in a time of reflection we know are completely irrational—are totally real. Again and again, we are driven to perform protective actions to prevent impending disaster. Indeed, God does hide his face at this moment. He seems nowhere around.
Yet this moment when obsessions strike also represents a great opportunity. It is a chance to grow in faith by, as Luther says, trusting not on our feelings but rather by God’s word. How critical for a Christian! As it says in God’s word,, “Cast your burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee.” So, skip a compulsion. Shorten a ritual. Bear some terrifying anxiety. Put your trust in God and his grace.
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