Why Isn't God There For Me?

[12ogue]

From my high school years of absence from God, I asked myself that question. The devil won many battles against me. Everything he tempted me to do, I'd fall in, unable to get out. This is probably a common way of thinking for those who all of a sudden break away from God. I blamed God with all my life, and I'd always tell myself "God sucks. (*@)*(%" Honestly, that was my way of thinking. But again as a follower of God, I ask myself that same exact question. At time I need him, why do I feel like I'm just talking to a nothingness? When I'm struggling with an option, why don't I ever have that boost of courage? I understand that it's our decision and a test, but sometimes it just feels hopeless because what the devil shows looks too good.

 

[JustAVessel]

God is always with you. Sometimes, you just don't know it. Sometimes the devil wins. That happens, but God is right there to pick you up. God is very real. Don't lose hope.

Dear God, I pray for this brother. Please show him your power. Show him your mercy, grace, and joy. Give him peace like only you can. Surround him with Christian fellowship and those who love you. Surround him with your love.
Amen.

The following is a poem titled "Footprints" by Mary Stevenson

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,
“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?”

The Lord replied,
“The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
is when I carried you.”

 

[Breaking Babylon]

Sometimes we have to stop giving the devil so much credit and look within ourselves.

Jeremiah tells us that the heart is deceitful among all things and desperately wicked, what man can know it?

James tells us each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.

Don't expect personal revelation. Don't expect God Himself to speak audibly into your ear. Don't expect God to send a flight of angels, nor immediately relieve you from your troubles, instead, seek His face humbly, with child-like faith, and see the hand of God.

When conviction is laid on your heart, God is present, and asking you to come back home. It's when you feel no remorse that you have a problem. You are convicted because the Spirit rests inside you. Praise the grace and mercy of God, who would rather grieve inside you to return to His loving arms, than cast you aside and leave you with nothing.

When you read your Bible, the voice of God is evident. Notice how key scriptures touch your heart in different ways. The Word of God comes in three parts: Realization, Clarification, and Edification. You realize the will of God through His word, which in turn searches your heart, and clarifies to you the things you need to do; which in turn edifies you, building you as a child in Christ.

When unrealistic trials come before you, and you are tempted beyond compare, rejoice in knowing that the sufferings of Christ rest upon your shoulders, and that endurance comes by the testing of your faith, being much more precious than silver or gold. How can we expect to share in His grace and glory if we haven't shared in His sufferings? Perhaps God is much closer than you think when these things fall before you - He loves you, and having endured our sufferings, yet without sin, we have a High Priest whom we can run to when we are tempted - our Lord Jesus Christ.

God was silent when John the Baptist was beheaded. He was silent when eight alone were saved from the flood. He was silent while Saul was a murderer, and silent still when Paul was murdered. He was silent when His Own Son bore the emblem of shame and suffering on Calvary, and He was quiet when Paul and Silas were imprisoned...

... Until, in a midnight cry, they lifted their voices in praise to God, regardless of their circumstances. And the foundations of the prison shook, their chains were loosed, and they were set free by the loving hands of mercy. When they exalted God's name in praise, God exalted them from their bondage.

God is near, yet... where have you been lately? A relationship is a two part commitment, last I checked. Do you yet bear the cross? Do you still seek His face -- if so, for His sake, or for your own? Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all else shall be added unto you. Have you forgotten the prayers that have already been answered? Have you blinded yourself to seeing Christ in your brothers and sisters?

Take a deep breath in... now let it out. Who gave that you? The very same who continued to from the first breath you ever took. The one who will be with you when you take one last breath on this side of eternity... and enter into life with the next. The same who died for you while you were yet a sinner, with love unconditional, taking the weight of the world on His shoulders -- How much more is He with us now that we are of His body?

Indeed, my God is evident, and He moves within me. I suppose, the right question would be for God to ask "Where is my servant?" But my God is rich in mercy, and He knows the thoughts of my mind, and the meditations of my heart. He knew my face before I was formed in my mother's womb. As the song goes... "He touched me, and I've never been the same." Where were you before you came to Christ? Is He still not faithful to His promises? Does He still not sustain you?

The very same presence which spoke the universe into existence is not hidden. Rather, it is by our own iniquity that we hide our own faces from God.

"Behold, Yahweh's hand is not shortened, that it can't save; neither his ear heavy, that it can't hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear."

Repent...

Ask, and it shall be given...

Seek first the Kingdom of God...

And never forget His promises.

 

[supernova165]

I know sometimes recently I feel, why doesn't God help me with stuff. But really I know that He's there and really we just need to get on with life. If God helped all the time we wouldn't grow, we have to do stuff your selfs and really, just keep seeing the end of the tunnel when you have fixed everything.

Good luck.

 

[heron]

I used to listen to a radio show that really helped me get out of this feeling that it wasn't working. The reminder was that we had authority over the demonic forces, so it was not inevitable that we give in to them, or that they overpower us.

The speaker reminded me that evil forces need to hear us take authority over them... (which can have all sorts of embarrassing implications in a house full of people). So I started speaking the Word of God out loud, and standing against evil forces as if they were beings next to me, rather than in my mind. It made a huge difference.

Even if you attribute some of the downfalls to yourself, which is good, just repent and know that God promised forgiveness. He promised it.

 

[Harlan Norris]

From my high school years of absence from God, I asked myself that question. The devil won many battles against me. Everything he tempted me to do, I'd fall in, unable to get out. This is probably a common way of thinking for those who all of a sudden break away from God. I blamed God with all my life, and I'd always tell myself "God sucks. (*@)*(%" Honestly, that was my way of thinking. But again as a follower of God, I ask myself that same exact question. At time I need him, why do I feel like I'm just talking to a nothingness? When I'm struggling with an option, why don't I ever have that boost of courage? I understand that it's our decision and a test, but sometimes it just feels hopeless because what the devil shows looks too good.

It could be that one's heart is just not in it.By that I mean that one's love of a particular sin may be greater than their love of God.Life is about choices.If we are to live as Christians we must determine to abandon our old life.In heart as well as deed.It is after doing this that we attain our freedom.

 

[strikerchris0411]

From my high school years of absence from God, I asked myself that question. The devil won many battles against me. Everything he tempted me to do, I'd fall in, unable to get out. This is probably a common way of thinking for those who all of a sudden break away from God. I blamed God with all my life, and I'd always tell myself "God sucks. (*@)*(%" Honestly, that was my way of thinking. But again as a follower of God, I ask myself that same exact question. At time I need him, why do I feel like I'm just talking to a nothingness? When I'm struggling with an option, why don't I ever have that boost of courage? I understand that it's our decision and a test, but sometimes it just feels hopeless because what the devil shows looks too good.

Hes there trust me> You may not understand his ways right now. but one day you will. YOu will remember he is there always.

 

[EmbracingHim]

Everyone struggles with his or her faith sometimes. This is not uncommon.

As far as temptation. The fear and love of God breeds a love for what is good.

David didn't always do what was good, but was still loved by God.

Do not beat yourself up for failing sometimes.

Becoming 'dead' to our flesh rids us from desiring what is bad...not that it is easy as Paul states.

The human mind's focus has much to do with this.

Be Blessed and in His light.

 

[hlaltimus]

From my high school years of absence from God, I asked myself that question. The devil won many battles against me. Everything he tempted me to do, I'd fall in, unable to get out. This is probably a common way of thinking for those who all of a sudden break away from God. I blamed God with all my life, and I'd always tell myself "God sucks. (*@)*(%" Honestly, that was my way of thinking. But again as a follower of God, I ask myself that same exact question. At time I need him, why do I feel like I'm just talking to a nothingness? When I'm struggling with an option, why don't I ever have that boost of courage? I understand that it's our decision and a test, but sometimes it just feels hopeless because what the devil shows looks too good.

Consider the world that is around you; There is a whole lot more of it that you cannot see than there is of what you can see and the same holds true for the existence of God. Because I cannot see this Being does not make Him non-existent no more that my not being able to see the roots of my Mesquite tree in the front yard means that they are not there. I know, by faith, that the roots which I cannot see exist because I can see the consequential evidence of those roots in the visible parts of the tree that are viewable. OK, it is tough to believe in a God that no one seems to be able to see. Don't complain about this problem! We wouldn't survive the experience and can thank Him that He has hidden His full manifestation from mankind out of mercy on His part and not from a motive to cheat us. "But He said, 'You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live' " - Exodus 33:20 When we view the universe around us, where order, design, beauty, natural law and rational conscious creatures exist everywhere, it is obvious that a Being of immense properties had to be responsible for such a creation. The fact that we cannot see Him doesn't change the evidential argument for His existence. If I want further evidence than an assumptive kind of evidence, I can head out into my front yard, (Please don't ask me to do this,) and dig up the roots of the tree with a shovel just to prove that they really are there, and then I would have two different kinds of evidence to support my conviction. If God just doesn't seem to be there for you, and you are also not satisfied with standard, Christian apologetical evidence, then if I were you I would grab my shovel and start digging for some more hard evidence. You will, (hopefully,) not succeed in actually seeing this Being, but you will be able to see His visible works in your life if you dig real hard to find Him upon His terms and not upon your own. Jeremiah 29:13 - "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." If you are willing to throw out anything in order to apprehending this Being, you will without doubt find Him as He will find you. The sailors of the ship that was carrying Jonah were willing to throw out the cargo that they could live without in order to the saving of their own lives which they could not live without. Throw out everything that stands between you and knowing this God and you will soon have more evidence for His benevolent existence around you than you will know what to do with. He is there, but we can only find Him upon His own terms. If this Being is truly the Creator, then there is a whole world of joy awaiting that discovery.

 

[Lyle]

Question for you buddy. Just think baout this. if you are so quick to shut God down when you are fine, why should He come along side of you when you are hurting?

 

[heron]

God wants long-term health and contentment.
The Devil shows you short-term delight that leads to long-term bad health and sabotage of relationships.

It's not that God is dull or boring or bossy, but he knows what these things will do to you. Listen to unhappy adults talk about their problems sometime. Many of their problems come from someone's choice to set off the firecrackers instead of having a picnic.

Look at some of your long-term goals. Where do you want to be in five years... ten years. What are the potential obstacles... what will help you get there? Instead of looking at this as God vs. Devil, consider how you're forming your own future.

 

[heron]

There are promises in the Bible, of God's stance on things. If we don't hear or feel Him, we can stand on those. It's a hard transition to make, to just say, "God, you promised this," but sometimes this step from uncertainty to declaration will jump-start the action.

For instance, if Jesus says that whoever believes in Him as the Son of God will be saved, then we just have to reach a point where we choose to trust that. If God promises to rescue us from our enemies and vindicate us, then we have to make a blind step out to claim that.

It sounds ridiculous, I know, to make blind claims from a book. But in deciding to believe that scriptures are the Word of God, we have to choose to not doubt Him. And things happen! They do.