When There Are No Answers

There comes a time or many times in our lives when we wonder where God is. We pray, we fast, we meditate. We go to church. We ask others to pray for us. And still..... God is silent. That's where I'm at. We are dealing with so many problems that are all overwhelming. I know God will provide. He already showed me that. But it's hard to keep trusting day in and day out that He will come through when there's no where left to go. But, there is beauty in hitting rock bottom. It is at that point that we can only go up. And we need to look up.

Remember the story of Thomas when Jesus appeared to him after the Crucifixion? Thomas had a hard time believing that this was, indeed, Jesus standing in front of him. How could that be? Jesus died on a cross. They all saw it. Jesus did not scold Thomas. He did not walk away. He said to simply touch His wounds. "He [Jesus] said to Thomas 'Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe"..... Then Jesus told him [Thomas] "Because you have seen me, you have believed, blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed." (John 20: 27, 29. NIV) That's where our saying comes from "doubting Thomas" Sometimes we don't see don't Jesus. We don't hear Jesus. We need to see living proof that He's at work in our lives. The thing about that is that we may not see the answer or hear the answer in the time we want. After all, NOW is when we need it the most. Situations are dire. There seems to be no way out. As frustrating as that is, Jesus is teaching us a lesson in patience. Remember "good things come to those who wait." The apostles waited. And waited. They began to wonder if Jesus really was coming back. I mean, how could that be? They all saw Him die on that cross.

If we look back to John 14, we see that Jesus left them with a rather puzzling statement "You heard me say 'I am going away and I am coming back to you....'" (John 14:28. NIV). If that were us in this day and age, we would be standing there scratching our heads trying to make sense of that. Is Jesus leaving on some mission trip? Is He going to another town? Where's He going? Well at least He's coming back. It's kind of like when babies learn. If they drop something it's gone. But wait, mom gives it back. Drop again. Again mom gives it back. So, if I drop something it's not gone forever. Someone will give it back. We've all played that game. It's rather amusing to see the perplexed look on the child's face after they drop the item and then mom shows it to her. This is the same point that Jesus was trying to make. He KNEW He was to die on that cross. But he gave reassurance to the apostles that He would come back. However, He didn't give them a time frame. How long will He be gone? When will He come back? Is He really coming back?

And this brings us back to our problems today. How do we know Jesus is going to answer us? We sort of get our answer back in the Old Testament. God reassures us "before you call I will answer; while you are still speaking, I will hear." (Isaiah 65:24. NIV). Umm... ok. So then why do we need to pray? We do we need to beseech our heavenly Father and ask for help if He knows what we need before we speak? It seems the bible is filled with these riddles. None of it ever seems to make any sense.

Alas, dear reader, we are assured that Jesus is going to intervene. Yes, He knows what you need, but He waits to hear it from you. It is at that point that you have decided to stop trying to do it yourself. Try asking for some help. But, He doesn't answer right away. He wants to be sure that the answer you seek is really what you want or what you need. We all want something. But is that something needed? You need a place to live, but you want that beautiful 3 bedroom, 2 bath craftsman style home you saw on tv. However, God may present you with an opportunity for a smaller house in a different neighborhood. Maybe a "fixer-upper". It's not what you wanted, but hey, it's a roof over your head. Do you see where I am going with this my dear readers? Keep praying. Keep waiting. It will happen. And when it does, you will see the fingerprints of God all over it.

Be Blessed Today.

Scripture verse: "For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11. NIV)