In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.
– 3 Nephi 22:8
In life, we often encounter moments when Heavenly Father might seem distant—when our prayers feel unanswered, and our hearts feel heavy with the weight of silence. It is during these times that I find great comfort in such passages as 3 Nephi 22:8. As I reflect on these words, I think of the nature of God’s dealings with His children. There are seasons in life where we may feel as though His face is hidden from us. These can be times of trial, sorrow, or spiritual confusion. The Lord’s wrath, mentioned here, may not be the vengeful anger we often associate with human emotions, but rather a moment of divine chastisement or the natural consequences of our own actions. The Lord, in His infinite wisdom, sometimes allows us to experience moments of seeming abandonment to refine us, to teach us, and to help us grow in ways that uninterrupted comfort would never achieve. However He assures us that His mercy is not quickly fading. His kindness is everlasting. The momentary feeling of divine absence is not the end of the story. With perfect love, He promises mercy. This mercy is not earned or conditional but flows from His nature as our Redeemer. It is the kind of mercy that does not only restore what was lost but transforms and elevates us. It is a mercy that reminds us that though we are frail and fallen, He is always ready to welcome us back with open arms.
I think about the times in my life when I have felt distant from God, when the trials seemed too great to bear, and the silence from heaven felt overwhelming. But looking back, I can see that those were the moments when I was being moulded by the Divine Potter’s hands. The distance was never truly there—only the perception of it. In those times, His kindness was still at work, unseen yet unwavering, preparing my soul for greater things.
The words “for a moment” stand out to me as well. In the eternal perspective, the trials and tribulations we face are but a moment. They seem long and difficult when we are in the midst of them, but compared to the vastness of eternity and the everlasting love of Heavenly Father, they are fleeting. His mercy, however, is everlasting. It endures beyond the confines of time, encompassing all the brokenness we feel and offering a healing that transcends mere restoration.
Nephi also speaks of God as “the Lord thy Redeemer.” Redemption is not only about being saved from sin but being bought back from sorrow, from hopelessness, from every form of spiritual and emotional captivity. It is in the Redeemer’s mercy that we find our true identity as children of a loving Father, whose kindness will never fade.
When I think of this passage, I am filled with gratitude. Even in the darkest moments of life, when God might seems far away, His promise of mercy shines like an eternally burning flame. He may hide His face for a moment, but He never abandons us. His everlasting kindness endures, and in that mercy, I find peace, hope, and the strength to carry on. It is a reminder that whatever we endure, we are not alone. The Lord, our Redeemer, is ever near, offering us the grace we need to endure, grow, and ultimately, return to His loving embrace.
And so, in the quiet moments of reflection, I remember His promise—the trials are temporary, but His mercy is eternal. And with that truth, my soul finds rest.
