“Where are you, God? We can’t find you!” agonized the father, Tanding, while his son wailed in cries of pain. The boy, three or four years old, had stuck his left hand and forearm in boiling water, receiving a sizeable second-degree burn.

I took him to the local hospital for treatment. Unfortunately, the staff lacked knowledge in treating burns: they applied plain gauze to the wound, which firmly stuck to the burn. When I had to remove the gauze to apply silver sulfadiazine cream, which I carefully did after moistening the gauze with saline, it caused him severe pain.
We applied the cream and a medium-sized adult plastic glove that covered almost all the burn. After the initial pain passed, the little fellow quickly fell asleep in his mother’s arms. I was thankful I could help him by applying a dressing that was less painful to remove.

Unfortunately, I did not see the boy again after that night as they were from a distant farm in the mountains. But the agonizing cry of the father, “Where are you, God?” had really entered my heart. Yet, God answers:

“But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee” (Isaiah 43:1-2).

God longs to reveal his Son as our Burden Bearer who carries us through the fire. Please continue praying that God will use us mightily through His Holy Spirit to bring the good news of Jesus to the hopeless.

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