Where for art thou God?

 

Photo Via INSTAPRAY     

     Let's start this one off with a quote. I stumbled across this one recently and immediately connected with it, this post topic has been sitting in my drafts for about a month now and I feel as if God is now giving me the "go ahead" to address this topic, seeing as I am currently experiencing it myself: 

“There are days or weeks or even months when I read the Bible and there are no grand epiphanies.

There are whole seasons of Sundays when I sing praise and feel nothing.

There are times of prayer where the silence kills me.

There are great Christian books and podcasts that I eat up which don’t budge my spiritual life.

There are too many times when I doubt the very existence of God and the sending of His Son. It can all feel like a crazy lie.

I’m probably being too honest — but I’ve found that I’m not the only one who feels this way.

It’s in those times that I ask myself, “Am I out of love with God somehow? Am I losing my faith here? How do I get back to where I used to be?”

But I keep reading my Bible. I keep singing on Sundays. I keep praying. I soak in books and sermons. I serve. I enjoy the company of mature Christians. I enjoy the fellowship of the broken.

And you know what? Sometimes the clouds part and God comes through and His love squeezes my heart and I fall to my knees remembering how good He is. Then I read Scripture and can’t stop weeping and I turn on Christian songs in my car full blast and sing loud enough to scare the traffic. I serve with shaking hands and get convicted by those sermons and soak in God’s goodness all over again.

So I’ve learned over time: I wasn’t really out of love with God. I’m just a fragile human being who changes as much as the weather. I was setting a ridiculous standard for myself that can’t be defined by self-pressuring parameters. I was tricked by the enemy into judging my flesh. My faith is based on His grace and not my feelings. And I think I need to relax.

” 

- J.S Park (Not too sure who J.S. is exactly but that was the only name the quote was addressed under. )

    This quote basically personifies some of how I have been feeling lately... Let's first clarify the fact that I am in no way shape or form wavering in my faith, I have simply been feeling Distant from God in a sense and I know that is probably due to a mass compilation of poor time management and impatience. I pray every day, attend church every Sunday, try my best to read my bible daily as well and apply it to my own life, calm my spirit with worship music and talk to God all throughout the day yet sometimes I can't shake the feeling of distance or as if I'm doing something wrong or not enough. In all honesty, sometimes I feel guilty because of the fact and feel as if I'm, not being a "good enough Christian" not realizing that those thoughts are a blatant lies from the enemy, trying to make me feel as if I am not good enough in God's eyes when in fact that couldn't be farther from the truth.

( Also, I want to make it clear that if any of you Asking/having questions does not mean you are doubting God or are wavering in your faith, It's natural to want to know more especially as a young adult growing in his or her faith, and all the answers can be found in God's word, or by simply asking Him. I also encourage you to find a mature figure in Christ for example a pastor or youth leader and to not be afraid to present them with your questions and I am sure they will be willing to guide you through scripture in order to find answers.You can proceed to ask God for clarity in his word and to provide you with wisdom and understanding of who He is, who you are and what role he wants you to play in his kingdom. If anything, I believe asking questions allows you to strengthen your faith, clarity is something we all naturally long for and God is more than willing to provide you with.) 
One thing I've been asking God for a lot lately is direction and to feel his presence more abundantly and one of the unfortunate things that get me worked up is the fact that I am a part of this "microwave generation", wanting instant gratification and answers to everything, growing anxious when I don't get them. The thing about that is, God doesn't work on our timing, he knows exactly what we need and when we need it; it is our job to have faith in him that he will deliver and have faith in his promise and wait patiently on The Lord, for he will undoubtedly come through for you. God surely has not left me, or you and if you feel distant from him, that may be him prompting you to seek him more and involve him in your daily life much more; God should not have to be fit into your schedule, your schedule should be made around God. Or, this can simply be a test of your faith and your patience. Often times we look for outrageous, over-the-top "Gatsby-like" signs from God as well, like a spontaneous explosion of fireworks spelling out your divine purpose to you in flickering red lights, when in fact, God shows you he is there and working in your life daily in simple ways if you simply look and ask him to reveal himself to you throughout the day. A few nights ago I was unable to sleep so I decided to put on some worship music and and just sit in the presence of God for a while and was finally able to feel his presence just long enough to let me know he is still there and working in my life, enough to keep me going. I put all my worries aside and designated that time to belong to none other than The Lord and I was rewarded with his reassuring presence.
Spend time in his word, continue to pray and have faith in him, I promise you he has not and will never leave you, take his word for it; your obedience will not go in vain. Here on Natvice I strive to be 100% open and honest with all of you in hopes that I'll be able to show to whether it be you reading this or other readers, that they are not the only ones experiencing these things, being a Christian does not equate to being perfect and that is the beautiful thing about it. Despite your flaws, despite every and anything you have done, God's love for you remains the same: at maximum capacity. He wants absolutely nothing but the best for you, please keep that in mind while you are waiting on him, the fact that his plans for you are far beyond anything you can ever imagine, they are worth the wait. Despite how you may feel, continue to serve God wholeheartedly and you will see him work through you in beautiful ways. 
GOD IS ALWAYS ON TIME.
~ Nathia

Jeremy Camp - I Still Believe

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