The Fingerprints Of God

If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Out of the sixty-six divinely inspired books of the Bible, only two don’t mention God directly by name: Esther and Song of Solomon. Yet even in these two books where God’s name is absent, his fingerprints are evident.

During a time when doubt shook the foundations of my faith, I ruminated on questions like these: Does God really love me? What if my faith is all a sham? What if I wake up one day and find I’ve led people toward a hope that isn’t real?

The depth and uncertainty of those questions rattled me to the core. Even now, thinking about that season brings to the surface the pain and fear I experienced then. My confidence in God’s presence in my life vanished, and every time I read the Bible, it felt like I was seeing his Word through a smudgy lens.

Around this time, I began studying the book of Esther. Like a detective, I combed through each verse, searching for God’s fingerprints stamped within this book where he is not named.

This particular book is pivotal in biblical history, recording a time when the Israelites were almost wiped out. The book of Esther tells the story of an orphaned Jewish girl named Hadassah, or Esther, who became queen. God used Esther, along with her cousin Mordecai, who adopted her, to intercede boldly on behalf of the Israelites and save their people. In this life-and-death moment, God rescued his people through their radical obedience.

When we can’t uncover his fingerprints in our circumstances, we can discover him in the Word.

God used the doubts that shook my faith as anchors to stabilize me in his truth. In his grace, he turned my eyes toward him and revealed his goodness, faithfulness, and steadfast love to me (see 1 Peter 1:8). The darkness I experienced made it possible for me to see the brightness of the Light again. I know doubts will resurface, but the book of Esther stands as a reminder to me of how he can be trusted to work behind the scenes today too.

If you are struggling to see God’s fingerprints in the world, look for them in the Word. Read stories of how he has delivered his people in the past. The narrative of the Bible is not one of happenstance. Each book is intricately woven together in one grand display of God’s glory and sovereignty. And when you can’t seem to hold on to your faith, lean into friends who will pray for you and point you to Jesus.

God’s name might not be mentioned in Esther, but his heart and handiwork are evident on every page. And take heart: his fingerprints are on every page of your story too.

Word before World Even when God seems absent, his fingerprints are present in your life.

Grow in Grace What doubts are you facing right now? Share those doubts with a trusted friend and ask them to pray for you to see his fingerprints again soon.