When Fanny Crosby, was a little girl, she lost sight in both eyes through a medical mishap. The years that followed were lean, as she learned how to navigate life without her sight. Instead of becoming bitter, Fanny turned to God and allowed him to work in her situation. God gave Fanny joy, and a new song in her heart. Today the Church is much richer for it. God did not restore Fanny’s physical sight, instead he deepened her spiritual insight into God as a restorative God. Despite the lean years, Fanny writes in the song, Blessed Assurance, “Visions of rapture now burst on my sight.”

There are times in our lives when we experience lean years. Lean years feel like nothing much is happening. Many people feel forgotten and abandoned by God during these years. Those who have any experience with farming understand how devastating lean years can be. A lean year on a farm could spell hardship for the rest of the year or even bankruptcy. Lean years do not just apply to financial situations, they could also apply to spiritual situations. We could conclude that the years the Israelites spent in Egypt were lean years. Years when they wasted away under cruelty and slavery. These were years when they felt God was far away. Despite the questioning, depression or anger that lean years may cause, it does not necessarily mean that God is absent in our situations. Lean years may indicate that God is present and working actively to redeem his people.

Isaiah 54:1 is a reminder that God is able to restore joy. He is able to give his people a new song in their hearts. Despite their plight in Babylon, God the restorer was on their side. In the lean years God calls us to be like Job who said, “Even though he slay me, yet will I still trust him (Job 13:15).” Lean years call us to focus on the blesser rather than the blessing. The only question is this: Are we willing to trust him even when we do not understand?