Have you, like me, struggled to find God in the midst of your adversity? Wondered if God had your back when a coworker talked negatively about you, without any repercussions? Or if He saw when an unfair situation made you out to be the bad guy? Or maybe asked, “Where are You?” when you have felt alone in your troubles?
Even though we read in the Bible that God is our Defender and Protector, we may wonder if He is really there. We may question if He’ll come to our rescue. Because sometimes it seems the bad guy gets away while we hurt. We may see no justice immediately. How do we know God has our back when the going gets tough?
Psalm 108:13 is a basic, but powerful reminder that with God there is victory over our enemies. Know that Jesus has the victory and that nothing in this world can overcome you when you are in Him and the victory is His!
The season is difficult and trying. You give your best only to feel alone. You look for God’s fingerprints on the trial with the little hope you have left. In your feelings of loneliness, He seems so far and you wonder if He has left you.
Sometimes we can go through trials and wonder if God has abandoned us for better things to do or other people to care for. I’ve felt that many times and in my loneliness cried out to God for some glimpse of Him. I want you to know that we’ve all felt that--you are not alone.
Even the great figure Mother Teresa felt distance from God. She once wrote:
“[But] as for me--The silence and the emptiness is so great--that I look and do not see,--Listen and do not hear.”
What I hope to leave you with today is a promise that will carry you in your loneliness and trial. You might feel as though God has left you in your low point, but know that He hasn’t done so at all. Look at what He tells us in Isaiah 43:
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze...Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”
Let those words soak in for a moment. Take in the precious words of the Father and know that even when you go through your greatest struggles, God is with you. He cares for you.
Perhaps there will be times He seems far off but we must take heart. There is a reason we emotionally feel distant. There is purpose in everything God does. No experience, emotion, or trial goes wasted. He is working good on your behalf. When you do feel this way, however, carry with you the promise that God is with you and He is working, even if you can’t see Him.
Through God we will do valiantly, And it is He who shall tread down our adversaries. - Psalms 108:13