"WHERE IS GOD, WHEN I NEED HIM?"-ATOMIXLA-KEY

“WHERE IS GOD, WHEN I NEED HIM?”

At some point in a believers’ walk with God the believer will soon discover that his faith will inevitably be tried and tested, it is then up to the believer to discern what it means to “take up your cross with Christ” and soldier on in the hope and trust that the Lord will make a way-where there seemingly is no way-and relieve him of the burdens he carries. The struggles of life though, are a certainty in our walk with Christ for as the psalmist puts it “many are the afflictions of the righteous...”. Now for some, this knowledge may, of course, cause mental strain and anguish because we would all love to believe that in Christ there will be no more suffering of any kind in this world- until reality sets in and we are faced with daily challenges. It then becomes easy for us, in distress, to question the presence of God amidst all these circumstances.

 

The rationality of our mortal mind is limited concerning the knowledge of the fullness of God in our lives. I remember at one point in my life when I was facing great difficulty, I began questioning God and whether or not my prayer had reached His ears at all. I began to wonder if perhaps he was simply too busy solving even greater problems else-where in the world, than to be concerned with little old me. Later, not only did I begin to realise that I was not the only believer facing this difficulty of doubt and distrust but also that it doesn’t take much to get most of us talking this way. We tend to feel a sudden separation (from God) and loneliness, leaving us facing these battles alone, wondering “where is God when I need Him?”

 

The truth is God was right there the whole time. The Lord Jesus Christ makes this assurance “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of age.” (Matt 28:20) That powerful declaration alone should encourage us from the prior belief that God has deserted us in times of trouble. Because our mortality is confined by time and lead by the simple practicality of our senses, it becomes increasingly difficult for one to believe in the omnipresence (God being everywhere at once) of God because “how can one man be everywhere at once?” “It just does not make scientific sense” but the fact of the matter is, brethren, that God is not “one man” He is spirit (John 4:24). So if God is spirit, it then makes Him immaterial and incorporeal and thus meaning that He doesn’t always have to appeal to our five senses in order for us to know that He is real and alive because “We live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).This is where faith plays an imperative role, faith being “the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen” (Hebrews 11:1), faith allows us to know God is there even when it doesn’t always feel like it, in so doing, the Lord finds pleasure in our hope that He is taking care of business even when our situation affirms otherwise “And without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God because anyone who comes to Him must BELIEVE that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6). God is never far from us, He stands closer than a brother. He is a God who knows the deepest parts of every individual He has ever created, The Holy Spirit is ever aware of our thoughts, our movements, our struggles and even our triumphs at all times(Ps 139 verse 1-5).  Again, the problem here is us thinking with our rational minds. The human brain is conditioned by nature to reason at all times, therefore limiting God according to our carnal standards. Have you ever found yourself debating with a non-believer? I have, and many times I find myself dealing with the question of God’s omnipresence. I realised that a carnal mind can never fully answer this question because the natural mind is governed by restraining laws. As a matter of fact, any attempt to deal with God’s omnipresence would require faith first. Secondly, we must understand that He is Spirit (John 4:24) and a spirit is eternal and therefore not bound by time and the universe nor its laws, God is infinite in relation to space and time. He is, in fact, above it all (1 Kings 8:27). David was acutely aware of the omnipresence of the Lord “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.”( Ps 139:7-8). Not only does God have the power to be everywhere at once but He also possesses infinite knowledge. He knows Himself and all things perfectly from all eternity whether they are past, present or future-God knows it all “the eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.” (Pro. 15:3).

So God is everywhere at all times, at once. His eyes are always on the faithful even when the faithful grow doubtful, it does not change His immensity. So “where is God when I need Him?” Well, He was right there the whole time. In fact, He was so right there that He was there before you. He saw you coming in and He saw you coming out, His eyes are ever-fixed on them who believe in Him. Our job is not to worry (Matt 6:31-34) our job is to give God praise at all times and put our trust in Him at all times because He has already seen us through our circumstances. Most of the time we may not even understand God’s methods because half the time His methods never makes sense to us which is particularly why He requires of us to just be still and to know that He alone is God and as God His ways are not our ways nor are His thoughts our thoughts (Is. 55:8).  It is encouraging to know that He knows you better than anyone “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind…” (Jer. 17:10). So next time you find yourself asking “Lord, where are you?” just remember, in His immensity, He is right there with you for He will “never leave nor forsake you”.

 

ATOMIXLA-KEY