Lbs: Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are

Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are

(Heb 13:5, Ps 22:1-2,Matt 27:46) Many of us have played hide -n-seek as children, and many of us now have felt that god sometimes is playing hid-n=-seek with us. C.S. Lewis once wrote “Where is God? … Go to him when your need is desperate, when all other help is vain, and what do you fine? A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside. After that, silence...what can this mean? Why is he so present in our time of prosperity and so very absent in time of trouble? 

We have all been through times when God seemed very far away. You may be facing a situation right now that seems beyond your control. Some may even wonder if God has an answer for shattered dreams. Others may be doubting if God really cares when we hurt and struggle against the pressures of life. We may even be going through times of spiritual silence, feeling as though He is standing at a distance an not going to answer our prayers according to our expectations.

(John 11:1-7,14,19-27). Mary, Martha and Lazarus had a close friendship with Jesus and He loved them and appreciated their hospitality, but this did not immunize them from tragedy. Many of us know that even though we love the Lord and live for Him, we are not immune to difficulty and tragedy. All three of them had needs that God could meet. Lazarus was deathly ill and Jesus  had the powers to heal him. Mary and martha were wondering how they would survive without Lazarus since he was their brother and financial provider.

When we have needs, we  are taught to pray and ask God to meet our needs, most of us don’t doubt the Lord’s ability to answer prayer or even to do a miracle. What we do doubt is His willingness to do it for us. God is committed to meeting our needs, but we must accept His will as being perfect,, His timing is just right, His strength is sufficient and His love is eternal. Mary and Martha’s petition before God was in line with His will, but yet their prayers appeared to go unanswered. 

There are several wrong ways we may choose to respond when we don’t get an answer to our needs. We may choose not to face reality and tell ourselves there is not a problem. We can also avoid the problem by distancing ourselves. And although these may work for a while, these responses prevent us from dealing with the problem. We can project blame on others just like Mary and Martha were quick to tell Jesus, “If you had ben here, my brother would not have died,” or we can also conform to the situation and fall into self-pity and doubt. 

Jesus had predetermined that He would heal Lazarus, but =He would do it in such a way that He would be glorified alone. He also would accomplish His will in the lives of Mary and Martha. These two sisters had to come to a point where they accepted God’s will over their own wills. Each one of us will face this decision at some point in our lives. We may wonder why, on the surface of life , it appears that God has not met our needs. Yet deep inside we must know that god never leaves us hopeless, he has a plan and design for our lives that is will-fitted for every trial, sorrow, heartache, or problem we face.

Even the most solid Christians go through times of feeling God is far away when they need Him most. At such times it is important to continue praying even if it seems we are talking into an echo chamber. Prayer never depends on our feeling close to God: He is always close to us, and does hear us. It is also important to thank God for His faithfulness and provisions, this is an indication of our submission to His will and not our expectations. Just like Christ on the cross cried “My God, why have you forsaken me.” then in the end said, “into your hand I commit my spirit.”

Next, we must be willing to wait. Mary and Martha had to wait, even when that meant they would lose hope and watch their brother die. You see, our spiritual insight is very limited, but God sees everything that is going on in the spiritual realm along with what we are facing. He determines how much delay will bring Him glory and bring us good. Things may not turn out the way we thought but they will turn out for God’s glory and our spiritual growth and good.

Many of us have asked the Lord to use our lives. What if that means tragedy cancer, bankruptcy, death, unfair divorce, set backs, or pain? What if you are going through a horrific ordeal, and having God delay or deny your prayer request is what would bring God maximum glory? When a world, who doesn’t believe in Jesus, watches you go through terrible times and they see his strength see you through. (2Cor 12:9, John 17:10). Because the solution for the frustration you are in while waiting for the good to happen is not something or someone but is Jesus Christ. (Ps 62:7)

Questions: 

1. What causes us to feel that God is far away or not listening?
2. God is not on an ego trip, so why does He want to receive glory through our difficulties? 
3. If you could pick up a phone and talk to God, what would you want Him to say to you?
4. Are you going through a difficult time now and feel that God is delaying or far away?