Why are there times in my life when finding God is so difficult?

Answer

Some of the most promising and remarkable words ever spoken by God are found in the book of Jeremiah: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you” (Jeremiah 29:13-14). And sometimes, in our quest to find God, it seems that He wants to remind us of this exceptional promise. We may be deeply troubled, so we pray fervently. We may be distressed, so we cry out to God for relief. But sometimes all we hear in response is a silence so profound that it overwhelms every thought except this: God isn’t listening. So we ask, “Has God abandoned me?”

Many believers have encountered the sensation that finding God is challenging or even impossible. After C. S. Lewis lost his wife to cancer, he called out to God for comfort but felt no response. Perplexed, he questioned, “What does this signify? Why is He such a commanding presence in our times of prosperity and yet so conspicuously absent in times of trouble?”

The Scriptures mention cries for help from those who are determined to find God: “Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time?” (Psalm 77:7-8).

This prayer of the psalmist conveys the heart of someone intent on finding God: “O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still” «Keep not thou silence, O God: Hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. », (Psalm 83:1).

At times, locating God may seem challenging, even for those who have a connection with Him. Life changes bring uncertainty: the loss of a job, a divorce, a job promotion, the birth of a child. Some have described these unexpected life changes as “divine interruptions.”

ns.” Even when the change is positive, it can disrupt our feelings of well-being and leave us feeling isolated. The question arises, “Where is God anyway? Why am I having such a difficult time finding God?”

It’s important to remember that, in finding God, the promise of Jeremiah 29:13–14 is never invalidated by our subjective feelings. Just because we feel that God is distant from us doesn’t mean He is. In fact, He has assured us that He will never abandon us or forsake us «Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. », (Hebrews 13:5). Since God never lies, we reject inaccurate conclusions about our circumstances when those conclusions contradict what we know about God from His Word. We walk by faith, not by sight «(for we walk by faith, not by sight:) », (2 Corinthians 5:7).

For the key to finding God, we have to go back to Psalm 77. After the psalmist laments that God has rejected him and His love has vanished (verses 7–8), he comes to his senses and writes verses 11–12, providing us with the two-part solution to feeling abandoned by God: “I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.” First, the psalmist resolves to recall God’s deeds and His miracles. Just remembering how God saved us from a life of futility and an eternity in hell should give us a proper perspective on His love. When we think of the many times God has intervened in our lives in the form of answered prayer, we are reminded of His faithfulness. Some people find it helpful to keep a journal of answered prayer that they can refer back to in the “dry” times of doubts and confusion.

Second, the psalmist resolves to meditateOn God’s Word to reach his objective of finding God. Meditating on God’s Word is the only sure way to come to right conclusions about God. Those who are “blessed” in Psalm 1 are those who meditate on God’s law—the Bible—“day and night.” God’s Word delights us «But his delight is in the law of the LORD; And in his law doth he meditate day and night. », (Psalm 1:2) and makes us strong, fruitful, and able to withstand life’s storms without withering (verse 3). To neglect the Word is to neglect the only means of sanctification in our lives «Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. », (John 17:17) and to leave ourselves open to the lies of the devil, who would like nothing better than to convince us that God has abandoned us.

Jeremiah promises that, when we seek God with all our hearts, God will be found. As Paul told the Athenians, God “is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being’” (Acts 17:27-28). As we embark on the never-ending quest to find God in every single day, we remember and meditate on His mighty works, and we welcome His “divine interruptions.”