Where is God? Psalm 13:1
A couple 5th grade boys known for getting in trouble at school was accused of stealing the teacher’s cell phone she left on her desk. The principle called the boys to his office. Wanting to question them separately he brought them one at a time. Without coming right out and telling them what he called them to the office for, he only asked “tell me what happened?” The first little boy said, “I don’t know.” The principle repeated the question again, “tell me what happened and I want the truth." Again the boy repeated the same answer. The principle growing frustrated said in disgust, “Where is God?” Feeling defeated he sent the first boy out and called for the second boy hoping to get some information out of him. As the first boy passed the second boy coming in he told him, “We’re in big trouble.” The second boy said, “yeah, why?” The first boy said, “God is missing and they think we took him.”
That’s a funny story, but let me ask you a serious question.
Have you ever gone through a time in your life when you asked yourself “where is God?”
A time in your life in which God seemed distant? God seemed far away? You felt dry and empty spiritually?
You pray, but God doesn’t seem to answer.
You read the Bible, but it does not speak to you.
You seek God, but it seems as if He is hiding.
You may be going through a time like this right now or just came out of time like this. You’ve searched your heart and know that it is not because of lack of faith or sin.
If this happens to you, or better yet, when this happens to you, know that this has happened to others as well.
David, the man after God’s own heart, had this same experience. He describes it in Psalm 13.
Ps 13v1….. David is asking, “Where are you God?” “Why are you hiding your face from me”
There is no indication here that David has sinned. He hasn’t bailed on God. He’s kept the faith. He’s been faithful to God. Yet, God seems distant. To David God seems far away.
Have you ever been there? You called out to God, but He seemed distant? This is not the only time David has experienced this. In Ps 42 he says, “day and night I have cried out to you, all day long the people say to me “ Where is your God?” v3
Not only did David feel God’s distance, others saw it as well. They kept asking David, “where is your God?” David is now asking
“God where are you?”
David is not the only one who has experienced this.
Jesus while hanging on the cross bearing our sins felt a distance b/ween him and the father. He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.”
Had he forsaken him? Had he forsaken David? No. He has promised I will never leave you nor forsake you. Sometimes it may feel that way, but he hasn’t.
I want to share with you “What do you do when God seems distant?” I want to give you the answer to the question “where is God?”
First of all, when God seems distant know that……………………..
1. He is above you. Look up……. he is above you.
Deu. 4v39, Moses told Israel, “Therefore know this day…, that the LORD ... is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.” God is in heaven above.
Ps. 115v3, David tell us, “Our God is in heaven;” Where is heaven? Up. God is up above. He is above u, just look up.
1 Chron. 29v11, says, “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, And You are exalted as head over all.” God is in heaven, exalted, head over all.
The next time God seems distant and you want to ask “where is God?” Remember he is above you, just look up.
Second, He is under you.
Deu 33v27 “The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you. He drives out the enemy before you;’
Mary Stevenson wrote this beautiful poem that has become famous. You are familiar with it. She wrote…………….,
One night I dreamed a dream.
As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
One belonging to me and one to my Lord.
After the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,
especially at the very lowest and saddest times,
there was only one set of footprints.
This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.
"Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,
You'd walk with me all the way.
But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome
times of my life, there was only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me." He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you." “Footprints in the Sand”
When you're going through some sad troublesome time in life and you only see one set of footprints in the sand and you want to ask “Where is God?” just remember His everlasting arms are under u to hold u up when the going gets tough…… when you think you can’t go on.
Not only is he above you and under you……
3. He is before you.
As the children of Israel left Egypt and were heading for the Promised Land Ex. 13v21 says, “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.”
As Israel traveled through this unknown territory God led them with a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. Why? Nehemiah adds, “to show them the way they should go.”
The light of God’s presence went in front of them, showing them the way and protecting them along the way.
As u travel your Egypt to the Promised Land God will go before u in front of you to show you the way and to protect you.
Like Israel, He will give u a token of his presence. What has God given u to show u the way we should go? His word. It is to us a lamp to light our path. God is never more near to u than when u are allowing the light of his word to guide you.
Where is God? He is above us, beneath us, before us.
4. He is behind you.
Ex. 14v19 The angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them.
What’s happening here is … Israel is fleeing the Egyptians headed to the promised land. Just as Israel was nearing the Red Sea to go to the other side; the Egyptians were gaining ground on them. Israel could go no farther until the sea opened. The presence of God represented by the cloud went from going in front of Israel and went behind them.
Why? To protect Israel from the fast approaching Egyptians. At just the right moment, in God’s timing, the sea opened up. Israel went across on dry ground and all the Egyptians drown in the sea as the walls of water came crashing down on them.
Life can be like that sometimes. Just when you think the enemy is closing in things could not get any worse, God moves from being in front of you and moves behind you to protect u. The only way Israel would escape the Egyptians was for the impossible to happen, the sea had to open up and until it could God stood b/ween Israel and the Egyptians to protect them.
Where is God? He is right behind u about to open something wonderful in front of u.
Where is God? 5. He is around you.
Ps 34v7 says, “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.”
The angel of the Lord is the Lord’s presence. His presence is all around us. He is omnipresent. Present in all places at all times.
Why? To watch over, to protect, to rescue his saints.
He is around you, behind you, above you, beneath you, before you.
6. He is with you.
Mt. 28v20 Jesus says, “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
He is with us everywhere we go even unto the end of the world.
7. He is within you.
Christ in you, the hope of glory: Col. 1v7.
Christ lives us as believers. The hope of glory.
8. He is for you.
‘What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” Rom. 8v31.
The next time you think God seems distant. The next time you think God seems far away. And you ask “where is God?” Remember he is above you, beneath you, before you, behind you, around you, with you, within you, and he is for you.
Encourage yourself with this reminder.
