Life is messy.
The world is full of broken people who are all trying to figure out how to make it through the next month, the next week, or even the next day. Someone says something that was supposed to be humorous, but it came across hurtful instead. We do what we think is best in a situation only to look back on it later and realize we made the wrong choice. Egos get bruised. Wounds are made. Dreams fall apart. Relationships become strained or even dissolve. It can feel like we dodge one pothole only to find ourselves falling into another.
Where is God in all of this mess?
It may feel like He is far away in Heaven watching from above like a patron at the theater taking in a show. When life comes crashing down on top of us does God simply cringe in His seat and say, “Ew! That hurt!”
Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.” The key words in this verse are “ever present”. God does not sit back and watch our lives play out. He walks with us through the good times and the bad. The Psalmist states that God is our “refuge”—a place of shelter and protection. Combine that with being ever present and you have a traveling fortress that is always on your side. When trouble comes calling, He is right there beside you, behind you, and in front of you.
This message of God being “ever present” with us is confirmed in Deuteronomy 31:8, “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Also in Matthew 28:20, “I am with you always, even until the end of the world.”
These verses show us that God is not a distant observer.
He walks with us through all the ups and downs that life throws our way. To be real, it takes a measure of faith to believe this. There will be situations in life that don’t make sense in light of the idea that God is always with us. Why does one person die in a car accident while some else lives? How come some couples struggle to get pregnant when others don’t? Why do some die of cancer while others beat it?
While God promises always to be with us, He doesn’t promise to explain His sovereign will. Scripture does not guarantee that we will be granted an understanding of what God is doing. We are required to walk in faith that what He says is true. He is there, even when we don’t see it, even when it doesn’t make sense, even when it hurts.
How does this truth change the way you look at life?
Will you allow it to change your expectations? Are you willing to switch from a posture of “God where are you?” to “I know you are with me even in this mess.”
It takes practice to respond in faith to the messy things in life. I know I have not mastered it. While I don’t pray for more opportunities to try and get it right, I do pray that when the moment comes, because it will come, I will choose to believe that He is there with me in the mess.
Amen and amen
This is just what I needed. Thank you 😊
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What a thoughtful post! This is so hard for me. Life has dealt some serious curveballs and it changes how we view life as a whole and our interactions with people. However we can never let those experiences change our view and the truth of who God is. He is for us! He does love us! He is intimately aware of our struggles and shortcomings and still longs for a relationship with us!
As we get better at trusting, our first thought when storms come will be Lord I need you, not why.
But keeping my perspective on reflecting His love in all situations helps me rest in his promises