By Gina Caswell Kelly
When you talk to God, how confident are you that He is listening? I mean, we know He is, right? That is what we have always been taught, and I believe it is true. God is more available than my right hand that is with me all the time! He is more reliable than my very next breath, which I trust is coming on the heels of the last one. Yet, I think there are times that we all struggle with feeling like He is maybe just not listening today. You feel like your prayers are hitting the ceiling and bouncing right back down. You are not alone.
In Psalm 10:1, David asks the Lord, “Why, O Lord, do You stand far away?
Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?” David didn’t just feel like God was not hearing him, he also felt as though God was hiding just when David needed Him most. So why was David, one the Bible calls, “a man after God’s own heart,” why was he struggling to find God when he was so desperately seeking Him? The answer is not about God. It is about us.
We have a very busy world. As I write this, I see vehicles going up and down the streets. I see people walking in and out of the buildings. Each person, mostly oblivious to the fact that the others even exist. As I write this, I am thinking of all the other things that I must get done. Many of them before tomorrow! As I write this, I am thinking of family and friends that are struggling in so many ways. Illness, depression, anxiety, joblessness, problems with children, the list just goes on and on. Is it any wonder that sometimes, it is difficult to hear from God when the world is making so much noise?
How do we handle this time where we feel like we are just not reaching God? First, be honest with yourself and God. He can handle anything you can throw at Him, even when you are silent. Don’t wait until you “feel” it. The promises of God are not dependent on our emotions. When you don’t “feel” it is the exact time to grab your Bible. Don’t try to go it alone. Find those whom you trust that have a solid relationship with God. Visit with them about what you are feeling. Allow them to pray with you. Go for a walk. Pray for those people in the houses you pass. My dog, Trip, and I do this every morning. When the devil wants to sneak in thoughts or worries, I start praying out loud, and I drown him out! (Fortunately I walk very early in the mornings and no one is out to hear me seemingly talking to myself!)
Then, remember God loves you. In spite of you, God still loves you! We do not have to be found worthy of His love. We only have to be accepting of His love, and His mercies, and His grace. Oh seek the Lord!! It will make a difference!
