Wars.
Natural disasters.
Bad economy.
Corrupt politicians.
All of these issues are ones that this world is dealing with. We are living in a world that is hurting, that is desperate, that is searching for answers. With all the hurt and uncertainty, the world is crying out in unison a question that has been cried out since the beginning of time:
Where are you God? Where are you in this?
Scholars have debated for years how the existence of an “omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient” God is fathomable in a world filled with so much heartache and pain. Where is God, they ask, when an earthquake devastates a country, killing 230,000 people and leaving 1 million homeless? Where is God when the economy is crumbling and 10.2 percent of Americans are unemployed? Where is God when countries seem at the tipping point of starting a nuclear war? WHERE IS GOD THEY ASK?
Shamefully, I myself have been asking that same question of late. These last few months have been a major struggle in faith for me. I have asked God “Where are you when I apply for 21 internships and get rejected by all 21 of them?” “Where are you God when my mom is in pain?” “Where are you God when hearts are broken, when everything around you seems to be changing, and you feel like your just running in place?” WHERE ARE YOU GOD I ASK?
But…have we ever stopped and wondered what God, in turn is asking us?
“Where are you when things are going great? “Are you seeking me in all earnest? “
“Why do you only look up when you have reached the bottom?”
I have come to realize that this is true in many people’s (including my own) lives. We seek after God when times are rough, but when life is grand, we feel content and do not run to Jesus as much.
I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder; he hath also taken me by the neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark. (Job 16:12)
I firmly believe God allows circumstances to occur in our lives to make us remember how much we need Him. God seeks our affection, our love, and our attention. And sometimes, God seeks to get our attention through allowing us to face circumstances that challenge us, break us, and ultimately, remind us who it is we serve.
However, we can always be sure of God’s faithfulness in all situations, as he says in Hebrews 13:5:
I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
God has promised us that he is with us always. He is walking by our side daily, wanting to carry us through the storms and wanting us to reach out for him and have him carry us.
Lastly, for those who challenge the existence of God and his omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience. Look at the way that clouds form before a storm, look at a child who is blind and deaf yet is filled with joy, look at a man’s unconditional love for his wife, look at all these things…and you won’t see God.
The only way you will see God is by looking at the cross…and carrying your own cross to Christ for him to bear.
