In times of hardships or troubles that sometimes bring about anger or doubts about the future that is promised by God, our affliction sometimes comes from the pagans around us who ask us: “where is your God?” (Psalm 79:10). My brother, my sister, being a believer has not removed your humanity. So, if this question makes you angry or makes you feel down, it is normal in some extend, but you still need to ask yourself why would you feel frustrated if you are certain about where your God is.
Most of the time, the pagans always ask this question when they seem to do well or prosper more than us who trust in the Lord for our future and hope in Him to achieve in life. If we are not prepared to answer this question, we can easily fall into sin by trying to justify our walk with the Lord to people who are spiritually blind and whose eyes are set on things on earth rather than things above, while we, Christians, are no longer part of this world though we still live in it. My friend, an unbeliever cannot understand that “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride” (Ecclesiastes 7:8) like we are demonstrated in the story of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31). Besides, Jesus taught us that in the end, God’s glory will be evident to all people, but in the meantime, we must carry our cross, by being prepared to be criticized the way He was, by facing unkind remarks and attacks the way He was.
So, enduring suffering with patience is a normal path for a follower of Christ and it allows God to strengthen our character as He is building us to become a bit more like Christ. Thus, if you stop looking at the present suffering the way the world teaches you to do, you will learn to answer the pagans that your God may not be visible to them but He is real to you and that you trust in Him, for He knows what He is doing with you. He is your Creator and the plans He has for you are plans of happiness and prosperity (Jeremiah 29:11). You see, by addressing your present difficulties as a difficult mountaintop that is impossible to achieve, rather than a top that you can reach by holding the hand of Christ, you expose yourself to doubts, especially when your eyes are looking at what other people around you are saying about you or do. Yes, my friend, you don’t need to justify yourself to people who are asking you “where is your God?” because He is holding your hand (Isaiah 41:13), which means that He is much closer to you than you even know! Yes, Jesus knows where you are today and He is helping you get through the stages of life to reach God’s purpose, if you trust in Him. Learn from Him by being patient, teachable and committed and waiting until the end, then those who ask you where your God is will be able to see for themselves. Stay blessed in Jesus’ name.