We’ve all heard the expression, “You can’t see the forest for the trees.” In Dubai, you can be too close to see the tree.
Palm Jumeirah is a man-made island that stretches nearly three miles into the Arabian Gulf in the shape of a date palm. From high above, its trunk and fronds are unmistakable, surrounded by a sweeping crescent. In the distance, the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab rises above the water.
Construction began in 2001. The palm’s design created more waterfront for homes, while the outer crescent served as a breakwater. Each part had a purpose within the larger plan. At ground level, however, you could walk past homes, admire the shoreline, and enjoy the view without recognizing the enormous tree beneath your feet. You would need a different vantage point to understand where you were standing.
I wonder how often I approach my life that way. Something happens that I don’t understand. A prayer seems unanswered. Plans change. I focus on the situation, examining every detail and wondering what I should have done differently. The longer I think about it, the harder it becomes to see beyond it. I want God to show me how everything fits together. Sometimes, I want an explanation before I’m willing to take another step.
David’s words remind me how much God already knows about the life I’m still trying to understand.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
Psalm 139:16 (ESV)
Before David lived a single day, God knew them all. Earlier in the same psalm, David writes that God knows when he sits down and when he rises. God’s knowledge of his whole life included the smallest details of an ordinary afternoon. That comforts me. The concern keeping me awake tonight has His attention. So does the person I’m worried about and the decision I’m struggling to make.
I may never understand why some things happened. But I can bring my questions to the Lord and trust Him with what I cannot see. Through Jesus Christ, I know how deeply He loves me. The cross gives me reason to trust His care even when my circumstances leave me confused.
From above Palm Jumeirah, I could recognize the tree. In my own life, I’m still learning to trust the One who sees all my days.
Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.
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What situation in your life feels difficult to understand right now? Psalm 139 reminds us that God knows every one of our days. I’m learning to trust Him with the parts I can’t yet make sense of. How has He helped you do the same?