Trusting God: When God Fails to Show Up 1

“Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him”. Job 13:15
In the journey of believers through this earth, one treasure of inestimable value that we must hold-on to is the habit of total trust in God. Believers must resolve to a lifestyle of trusting God for a lifetime as a matter of necessity, if truly they will live to see all the promises of God get fulfilled in their lifetime. We are taking our series on “Trusting God” to another dimension this week. We shall be considering the concept of trusting God in an atmosphere that is not conducive and that seems naturally senseless to depend on God, because that is what God desires for our lives. How do we learn to keep trusting God even When God fails to show up? Get ready for the fire experience!

In our focus verse above, a man named Job, the only man God boasted about all through the Old Testament, had the testimony that he pleased God! He entered a season in his life where it becomes almost impossible to believe God still cares about his life. in the midst of that misery of his life, he declared the words in that verse above; stating to what extent he is willing to trust and depend on God! “…though He slay me…” that phrase expressed the content of the heart of a man that has met the Lord. A man who believed God to death! This is one of the things we addressed in our previous episode. We must spend time enough to understand the ways and patterns of God! In the place of knowing God, our convictions about God get strengthened and polished so much that we are convinced that God is real. Apostle Paul understood this dimension of knowing God; being a converted Pharisee himself, after his conversion, he spent years searching to understand the ways of God. This led him to the desert of Arabia where it is believed that he encountered the revelation of God’s word which made him strong enough to defend the interest of Christ for his lifetime! Knowing God takes time. What are you willing to sacrifice to know God better?

In the place of knowing God, our convictions about God get strengthened and polished so much that we are convinced that God is real!

The central focus of our existence on earth is to know God enough to take decisions and responsibilities towards bringing down God’s desires on earth. In our plight of doing this, it is more than essential to first find God and know Him intimately enough to first depend on Him for life and ultimately defend His interest as we go about witnessing Him through all our endeavors. This is where trusting God for a lifetime comes in. Apostle Paul, having spent quality time studying about the person of God which is evidently seen in his writings and heavy contributions to the early church, declared in Romans 8:35-39 his statement of total trust in God even in the face of the worst trials that this world might offer: “Who could ever separate us from the endless love of God’s Anointed One? Absolutely no one! For nothing in the universe has the power to diminish his love toward us. Troubles, pressures, and problems are unable to come between us and heaven’s love. What about persecutions, deprivations, dangers, and death threats? No, for they are all impotent to hinder omnipotent love, even though it is written: All day long we face death threats for your sake, God. We are considered to be nothing more than sheep to be slaughtered! Yet even in the midst of all these things, we triumph overs them all, for God has made us to be more than conquerors, and his demonstrated love is our glorious victory over everything! So now I live with the confidence that there is nothing in the universe with the power to separate us from God’s love. I’m convinced that his love will triumph over death, life’s troubles, fallen angels, or dark rulers in the heavens. There is nothing in our present or future circumstances that can weaken his love. There is no power above us or beneath us-no power that could ever be found in the universe that can distance us from God’s passionate love, which is lavished upon us through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One!” [Romans 8:35-39 TPT].

The words in this long reading holds us strong and in perfect shape even when our trust in God is being questioned. The verses expressed the unending love of God and how all-encompassing it is! When the reality of God’s love dawn on us we will totally submit and trust Him for life, just like Paul did! If we seek God the way the ancient Generals sought God, then we will not only encounter God, we will also end up living all our lives trusting Him unconditionally!

What happens at that point in your life when you know you need God more than ever before to prove Himself true in the affairs of your life, and yet He refuses to show up? The reality of our Christian experience is that, evil days are coming. Times when our faith in God and our love for God will be tested. Jesus Christ while on earth announced to His disciples that in this world, tribulations will come, but they must cheer up for He has overcome the world. Challenges of life will surely knock at your door! When it does, and God fails to show Himself as God, what happens? Will you take the suggestion of Job’s wife to curse God and die? Will you join the ways and patterns of this world by seeking help elsewhere? Or will you follow the ancient pathways to trust in the same God that fails to show up knowing that His ways are beyond the understanding and comprehension of the human mind. At that point when we feel it is the end of the road because of our human limitations, God seems unmoved by our tears, pleas and prayers at that point not because He is unable to act; but rather, He has a better plan! Believers must learn to understand that God is not under any obligation to do things in OUR OWN WAY! Our God is limitless. He cannot be confined in our small brain! When you arrange all the moves you feel God should make concerning the issues of your life, you will end up disappointing only one person – yourself! We must learn to trust God’s own way and path.

Believers must learn to understand that God is not under any obligation to do things in OUR OWN WAY! Our God is limitless.

When God fails to show up, what is expected of believers is to sit back and relax, having prayed and committed all into God’s safe hands; watch Him do what only Him can do! The process of waiting for God’s own hand upon our affairs is always challenging as it always seems too long. It will seem as if God is too slow to act! We have forgotten that in His seemingly sluggish way, He made the heavens and the earth in SIX days! He makes no mistake in all that He does! The end point of our trust in God is to make us believe in all that He can offer us even at the practically most impossible scenario! The Bible is full of powerful stories of men and women that waited on God even when it seems useless and senseless, today we read their stories only because God came through for them at His own appointed time! Will you leave God to do His work in your life? “Surrender your anxiety! Be silent and stop striving and you will see that I am God. I am God above all the nations, and I will be exalted throughout the whole earth”. Psalms 46:10 TPT

The end point of our trust in God is to make us believe in all that He can offer us even at the practically most impossible scenario!

This is the word of the Lord to us today. Were you blessed? On Friday, we shall consider the profile of men and women that trusted God even when God failed to show up! As we await the next episode, make sure you drop your comments below and also drop your email address so as to be notified once the next post comes out! Thanks for visiting The Fire Place!