Where is God when I’m hurting?

It is true, that anyone who has grown up in church, or been a Christian for very long is familiar with God’s promise that He will never leave us or forsake us.

However, it is also true that if you have lived long enough on this earth, you have probably endured at least one circumstance that caused you to ask the question, “Where is God?”

Even though we have experienced the wonders of his great love for us, and benefited from a multitude of his blessings, when the sting of painful trials hits our system, it can shock our souls and leave us dazed and confused.

We react much like we do when we’re in physical pain.

I can remember the morning I got my first kidney stone. I had just started my work day when the first pangs of pain hit.

At first, I thought it was stomach cramps, maybe a case of diarrhea, but a trip to the bathroom brought no relief. By the time I got back to the main office I was doubled over in pain.

My co-worker offered to take me to the hospital, which thankfully was only five minutes away.

There was only one red light between the office and the hospital, and I distinctly remember telling her, quite emphatically, to “just go through it!”

Never mind that it was right beside the borough police station. I didn’t care. All I cared about at that moment was finding out what was the cause of this horrendous pain and making it stop!

Our souls do the same thing.

We become like horses with blinders on and all that matters is making that pain go away. We begin to question things we normally wouldn’t. Why would God let this happen? Did I do something wrong? I am in so much pain. “Where is God?”

For most of us, it’s not that we really think he’s abandoned us, it’s more that He just isn’t moving as fast as we’d like. So we wonder, what’s He doing? Where did He go? Did He forget about me?

They can be some of the loneliest, most desperate times of our lives.

It is in those moments when we need, more than ever, to trust that great promise.

For any of you who may be in that place of questioning his presence, or if you just need a reminder that He indeed is with you, today’s post is for you!

One of the first times we hear this precious promise, it is spoken through Moses. He is at the end of his life, handing leadership of God’s people over to Joshua, and he assures those Israelites that although he, their brave leader of over 40 years will be leaving them, the God whom he follows will not. “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of then, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (Deut. 31:6)

Later, after Moses has died, the Lord himself speaks to Joshua as the Israelites are about to finally enter the land promised to them.

As he commissions Joshua, he says, “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.”(Josh. 1:5)

What a comfort these words must have been to Joshua.

Here he was, about to inherit leadership of a very large, sometimes very stiff-necked group of people. Yet, they were still God’s people. Moses had been so patient, so understanding with them.

He must have wondered if he was up to the task, but God assures him, he will not have to do it alone. Just as he was with Moses, he would be with Joshua.

God continues to proclaim this promise throughout the Bible, both to His people as a whole, as well as to individual saints.

The promise is as true today, as it was in Biblical times.

Even when we disobey God, He refuses to leave us.

Long after both Moses and Joshua had died, when His people refused to listen to the prophets’ pleas for repentance and found themselves in captivity once again, God would not leave them alone.

In Isaiah 41:8-13, God says, “But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. Thou whom I  have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am they God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

How unbelievably encouraging to know that there truly is nothing that can separate us from the love of Christ, not even our own sinful nature.

No matter why we have found ourselves in a valley, whether it’s simply a time of testing, or if we are there due to our own disobedience, God is still right there with us.

When the days grow long, and our bodies are weary – He is there.

When depression drains our strength and our minds are weak – He is there.

When grief threatens to consume us and our souls ache – He is there.

No matter what the circumstance – He is there.

There is no valley so deep that he won’t follow you through it.

Even when He seems to have fallen silent, and you’re sure you’ve been abandoned – He is still there.

I am convinced that one of the devil’s favorite and most successful tactics is to make us feel isolated and alone.

He will take those moments of silence and do his best to persuade us that God has left us.

Don’t believe the lie! Instead, trust the promise.

Many times, those perceived moments of silence are actually times of teaching.

Think about it.

At some of the most pivotal times in your children’s learning, where were you?

When they finally took their first steps by themselves.

When they learned to ride a bike on their own.

Were you holding their hand, standing right beside them, whispering instructions in their ear?

No.

All of that happened leading up to the big moment, but when it finally came – where were you?

Letting go, standing back, probably holding your breath and waiting. Waiting to see if your child had finally grasped that skill.

Similarly, those moments of silence in our lives, are God lovingly standing back, patiently waiting to see if we have grasped the concept He has been teaching us.

Oh, I know it doesn’t always feel good.

In fact, it can be a far cry from a sweet family scene in a Hallmark movie.

It can be gut-wrenching and heart breaking and just plain awful.

I clearly remember sitting on our stairway at 2:30 in the morning, on day three without sleep, weeping and begging God to help me find my way of escape.

At that low point, I didn’t know what would become of me. I didn’t know if I’d ever get back to the me I used to be.

Well, it didn’t happen that night, but in the days that followed the Lord did give me some verses to hang onto.

I went to see a dear cousin of mine, who is also a pastor, and has also had his own struggles with anxiety.

He reminded me of some verses that helped him during a very anxious time in his own life.

I had read them before, but they never hit me like they did that day, and even more so ever since.

They are found in Psalm 34:4-8

“I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”

My favorite is verse seven where it says the Lord “encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.”

What a beautiful picture and what an awesome truth!

Even as I was praying my guts out on our living room stairs, God was camped out right there with me, already planning my way of escape.

He knew the week, the day, the hour that my deliverance would come – all I had to do was hold on and trust the promise.

And that, my sweet friend, is all you have to do too.

I know sometimes that one thing seems so big, but He will help you with that too.

Just take one day at a time. Keep praying, keep believing.

And don’t buy into the lie that He would ever leave you alone.

Instead, trust the promise!!!