EVERYTHING WE NEED: Unseen Footprints

“Footprints in the Sand” is a poem about someone walking in the sand with the Lord. He had always been by her side throughout her life — two sets of footprints. When faced with a serious trial in her life, she looked back and saw only one set of footprints and assumed God had abandoned her when she needed Him most. Where was He? After crying out to Him, He assured her that He loved her and would never forsake her. He whispered to her that that one set of footprints was His, and He was simply carrying her through her lowest moments.

This poem is an allegory giving us a message of comfort that He never leaves us, even when we think He has abandoned us and left us to fend for ourselves.

Sometimes, it seems obvious that God is actively working on our behalf through friends, family or even certain events. But what about when we feel like He has forgotten us and we are all alone? We see no “footprints” anywhere. Does He no longer care? Someone might tell us, “Go on a vacation, to a movie or just seek out entertainment anywhere to make you feel better.” Distraction, however, won’t and can’t help our greatest need. God loves us so much and only He can reach down, lift us up and give us the joy we so desperately seek.

“Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen” (Psalm 77:19 NIV). Asaph, a chief musician, wrote the words of Psalm 77 in the midst of extreme distress. He couldn’t sleep, his eyes wouldn’t close and he refused to be comforted. You and I have been there tossing and turning, praying for the morning to come and bring relief to our souls.

Asaph couldn’t see God’s “footprints.” He couldn’t even speak, and thoughts of former days of songs in the night did not bring relief to his troubled soul or alleviate his pain.

In verses 7-9, he lays his heartfelt feelings before God with sincere questions. Speaking on behalf of the Israelites and himself, he asked if God would reject them forever and never show His favor again. Had His unfailing love vanished, and His promise failed for all time? Had God forgotten to be merciful and, in His anger, withheld compassion? You can sense Asaph’s despair and, no doubt, have even felt that way yourself at times.

But then, Asaph had a change of heart and mind. He turned his thoughts toward the Lord to meditate on His many miracles and mighty works. There was no god as great as the Lord God. This is what you do. Change your way of thinking and focus totally on God. Like water that immediately washes away any “footprints,” the Israelites saw nothing to show that God was on their side. Trusting God means living “by faith, not by sight” (II Cor. 5:7).

I recently heard a good illustration. If the sky is dark and cloudy, we might say that the sun isn’t shining. But that’s not true. The sun is shining whether we see it or not. That’s how God works. When we are at our lowest and can’t seem to feel God’s presence or see His “footprints in the sand,” we can still be assured that He has not forgotten us.

We often struggle to live by faith. We want to see hard evidence before we can believe. Still, we are told that “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Heb. 11:6). Do we have any reason to doubt that God would ever abandon us? Absolutely not!