Where is God?

God is there, even in the midst of uncertainty and even trouble.

I would speculate that most people have experienced a difficult time in their life and wondered where God was in the midst of their trying set of circumstances or if God had forgotten about them, or why He didn’t intervene in their time of trouble.

My wife has given me permission to share this story. A few years before she and I got married, my wife had to have back surgery and was told by the doctor that she would have to remain flat on her back for at least six weeks to recover. During her recovery she quickly used up what little sick and vacation time she had accumulated in her short tenure with a small company. She then had to start taking time off without pay. Her employer ended up letting her go.

She was very upset, lonely and depressed. In that moment she began asking God questions like, “Lord, where are you in all of this? I had to have back surgery and now I’ve lost my job.”

While she believed her back injury occurred while on the job she didn’t pursue any wrongful cause on the company’s part because she really just wanted to be done with it all. I won’t go into all the details, but the company she had worked for was not a good environment to be in and some of the employees were not positive influences in her life. Even still, it was difficult for her to lose that job especially when she was hurt and didn’t have another job to step into.

During her recovery and time away from work however, she began to spend more time in God’s word, meditating on Scripture and going through a Bible study. Her relationship with God and faith in Christ was strengthening with each day.

A few months went by before she approached a temp agency to find some work so she could pay her bills. She took a series of tests to measure various skills and, while she had a degree from The University of Texas at Austin, she was offered only a temporary secretarial position. The temporary position however, was with a Fortune 100 international company and she was paid more in that position than at the smaller company from which she’d been let go. She worked hard at her new job and was appreciated and recognized for her performance. Within nine months she was hired on full-time and given a raise with full benefits. The next year she was promoted and accepted into a two-year management-training program and rotated around in various departments within the company to gain more experience and a bigger picture of how things operate. With that opportunity her income doubled! A few short years later she managed a project and led her team, even as the youngest member, to receive the company’s Excellence Award, which is the most prestigious award within the organization. She was flown to the company’s headquarters in New York with her team and presented the award. (Knowing she was a UT grad the company also gave her two coveted tickets to the Texas vs. OU game that year.) She felt on top of the world.

Where was God when she underwent back surgery and was let go from her job? He was there all along; allowing her to go through difficulties because he knew what type of character it would produce in her. God had to remove her from that unhealthy environment to take to her a better place. God was protecting her from bad influences and used that situation, as painful, lonely and confusing as it might have seemed, to teach her to rely completely on Him.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

Throughout Scripture we can read of story after story of how God used tragic circumstances to mold and shape the lives He used. It should be no surprise to us then that when He decides to use one of us He may take us through some difficult times.

Imagine being Joseph as recorded in the book of Genesis. Here’s the short version: One day Joseph is the favored son and the next day his brothers sell him into slavery never to be heard from or seen again. Joseph probably thought his life was pretty much over. He would never see his family again and would now be forced to serve at the pleasure of his master. Joseph had to get to a point where he would have to rely on God completely. God also wanted to build character in Joseph’s life and teach him some lessons along the way, mainly, lessons in humility. Joseph continued to trust in God, work hard and he was eventually elevated to second in command of all of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself. Through the wisdom God gave him, Joseph was able to save the people of Egypt from a great famine. Later when Joseph was reunited with his family, he forgave his brothers, telling them, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

Most likely we will never experience being sold into slavery like Joseph, but many of us may go through a time when we wonder if God is even aware of our hardships. What do you do when you find yourself in one of these situations?

If you are going through a tough time right now, trust in God and continue trusting in Him. Stay faithful to Jesus Chris and believe in His faithfulness to take care of His children. Look for the good in the midst of the situation and try to discover what God may be trying to teach you or even protect you from. It may sound silly, but along with prayer regarding your situation, begin to praise God in the midst of all your trouble and acknowledge His sovereignty over everything. When you do you will be amazed how the anxiety you’re feeling will begin to shrink.

Dig into Scripture and meditate on God’s word. Even if you’re not sure what to read, don’t procrastinate, just open up your Bible. I am always amazed at how often I seem to find stories in the Bible that I can identify with. God’s word not only teaches us how to live, but encourages us through our difficult times. It’s one of the ways God communicates with his people.

Keep your head up, move forward and continue to work hard. Growing up I once heard my father say “There’s nothing unspiritual about hard work.” You never know who may be watching you and observing your work ethic. Even if no one else sees you, remember that God is always watching and it is our Lord that ultimately rewards us. No employer or person could ever give you what God can.

If you’re not experiencing such a circumstance look for the opportunities to minister to and encourage those who are going through a difficult time; they are all around you.

*I wrote this post for the July 2011 edition of Frisco Style Magazine and is printed on pages 76-77 (http://digital.turn-page.com/title/4248).