{"id":309,"date":"2015-09-15T14:14:10","date_gmt":"2015-09-15T19:14:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedisciplemaker.org\/?p=309"},"modified":"2015-09-15T14:14:10","modified_gmt":"2015-09-15T19:14:10","slug":"where-are-you-lord","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.navpress.com\/sites\/thedisciplemaker\/2015\/09\/where-are-you-lord\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Are You, Lord?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

What’s really going on when God seems absent<\/h3>\n

Our son\u2019s voice trembled on the other end of the phone line. I knew right away that Josh had called with the bad news we\u2019d hoped never to hear: Jada, our 14-month-old granddaughter, had succumbed to the genetic disorder she\u2019d battled so bravely throughout her brief life. After hanging up the phone, Judie and I were too numb with grief to cry. We just held each other for what seemed an eternity.
\nThat day was the final crushing blow in a long season of trauma and pain. In the months before, we had lost one of our best friends in a tragic automobile accident. The day after his funeral, I received word that my mother had suffered a massive stroke. The following day she was gone. Just prior to these heartbreaking losses, I\u2019d had to resign from a long-term ministry position. Under financial stress, we sold the home we loved; then we were forced to move twice in less than a year. Now our beautiful grandbaby was dead. On occasions, we wondered if our grief would consume us.
\nThis period was also spiritually confusing. Judie and I both struggled to relate to God. At times we felt as if He didn\u2019t care. \u201cGod, where are You?\u201d we\u2019d pray. \u201cWhat are You doing?\u201d Too often there would just be silence. God\u2019s strange absence was one of the most jarring things we\u2019d ever experienced. We were confident God was there. We knew He was at work in our lives. But He was not there and working in the ways we had come to expect.
\nI remembered at one point how King David had also experienced painful times when God seemed distant to him. We began to take some comfort in knowing we were not the first children of God to endure confusing periods of spiritual darkness. The 16th-century priest John of the Cross wrote extensively about these wilderness journeys. He called them \u201cdark nights of the soul.\u201d John testified that these prolonged and painful periods of dryness\u2014when received in faith rather than resisted\u2014would eventually result in a truer, more profound intimacy with God.
\nTHE SOUL AT MIDNIGHT<\/strong>
\nIf you look for \u201cdark night of the soul\u201d in your concordance, you won\u2019t find it. But even if that phrase doesn\u2019t come directly from the Bible, it\u2019s clear that many people depicted there experienced what I\u2019ve been describing. Few enjoyed as close a relationship with God as David, \u201ca man after [God\u2019s] own heart\u201d (1 Sam. 13:14). Yet David often struggled to find God\u2019s presence in the midst of painful circumstances. In the Psalms we encounter his descriptions of the common dark-night feelings of suffering in isolation, losing one\u2019s bearings, and having no solid place to stand.<\/p>\n

Why, O Lord, do you stand far off ? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? \u201410:1
\nSave me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. . . . I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God. \u201469:1-3<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

David knew what it\u2019s like to feel God withdraw His presence. Confronted with his sin of adultery and murder, David pleads,<\/p>\n

Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. \u201451:11-12<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

PAINFUL, YET FRUITFUL<\/strong>
\nThe \u201cwilling spirit\u201d David prayed for usually comes at a great price. The Bible makes it absolutely clear that God is for us and that nothing can separate us from His love (Ro. 8:31-39). But God is also deeply committed to our growth. The Scriptures describe three painful processes that God will use\u2014often during dark-night periods\u2014to remove from our lives that which does not honor Him.
\nPruning.<\/strong> Jesus teaches that pruning is at the heart of His Father\u2019s transforming work: \u201cHe cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be more fruitful\u201d ( Jn. 15:2). In the California wine country where I live, we constantly see pruning\u2019s effects. Grapevines look like dead stumps after they\u2019ve been pruned. You wouldn\u2019t believe anything good could again come from these gnarly hunks of wood. But by late summer the vines are flourishing, bending low under the weight of a healthy and abundant crop.
\nRefining.<\/strong> Another process is refining through fire. \u201cSee, I have refined you . . . ,\u201d God says. \u201cI have tested you in the furnace of affliction\u201d (Is. 48:10). And the Apostle Peter, no stranger to suffering, writes,<\/p>\n

These [trials] have come so that your faith\u2014of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire\u2014may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. \u20141 Pet. 1:7<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Shaking.<\/strong> Finally, the writer of Hebrews describes a process of shaking, telling us that God is<\/p>\n

removing . . . what can be shaken\u2014that is, created things\u2014so that what cannot be shaken may remain. . . . For our \u201cGod is a consuming fire.\u201d \u2014Heb. 12:27,29<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

At the heart of the dark-night journey is this place of reduction and humiliation where every twig marked \u201cself rule\u201d must be cut off and thrown in the fire. God\u2019s fire burns away deadwood but also refines our characters, drawing the impurities from our souls. And where we have tried to rest our lives on pillars that do not reach bedrock, there will be a shaking, a divine demolition, until only that which cannot be shaken remains. Yet even then God promises,<\/p>\n

Fear not, for I have redeemed you. . . . When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze [or, consume you]. \u2014Is. 43:1-2<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When we encounter this work of God, we feel lost and out of control. We grope around, trying to find our bearings, confused by the upheaval in our souls. Yet God is profoundly shaping our faith. We are being dismantled at our core, then gracefully reconstructed from the inside out.
\nROAD SIGNS<\/strong>
\nIt is good to know when you might be entering a dark night. It is a comfort to know that this tough time is a work of God in progress, not some senseless series of ugly events. Here are some signs that I believe can help us recognize when we are experiencing this unique work of God.
\nA perceived change in God\u2019s presence.<\/strong> During the painful period Judie and I went through, we experienced God maintaining a more distant posture toward us than we had come to expect. I believe this is a classic sign of a dark night in progress. It can catch us off guard, because the shift will often follow a period during which we have felt close to God, dancing in His blessings. Then life suddenly changes. When we, like David, cry out to the Lord, He can seem unresponsive, indifferent, and aloof.
\nOne subtle but significant clue that this is an authentic dark night is that, even though it appears God might have abandoned us, it\u2019s common to have a still deeper sense that this unusual experience is a work of God. He may be absent in the ways that we have come to expect, but He is present in new ways. A shaking is going on; God is in the shaking.
\nDiminished ego.<\/strong> Another clue is when we become aware that our egos are undergoing a major adjustment. The dark-night experience always disempowers us. The manipulative, possessive, controlling self must be broken down.
\nWe may recognize this first in our prayer lives. We do everything we have always done to engage God in prayer, but nothing works. The harder we try to touch the face of God, the more we work at it, the less we seem able to achieve the experience of God for which we long. The key words here are try, work,<\/em> and achieve<\/em>. We are learning who is really in control. There is no way we can force God\u2019s presence; it is always a gift.
\nWhat starts with prayer often bubbles over into other areas. During dark-night experiences we become keenly aware of our limitations. In this past year of brokenness and searching, I was surprised to find myself slipping at times into thinking the unthinkable: angry thoughts, sexual fantasies, strange doubts, even obsessive ruminating about who I really was. I struggled against temptations I had been certain were dead and gone.
\nWe can begin to wonder whether we\u2019ve really made any progress with God. It feels like regressing. Our Christian self images may become part of God\u2019s demolition and reconstruction. We may have become too attached to ideas of our effectiveness in religious work or of our strength of character. How quickly pride enters into every area! As God diminishes our egos, a more authentic humility grows in us. When we emerge, we will have new spiritual energy and fresh thinking that could not have come about if we had stayed where we were, with everything organized and securely in place under our old regime.
\nDistorted images of God.<\/strong> Another area in which God works involves our worship of false images of Him. A common experience is to realize more fully how self-serving and immature many of our previously held concepts of God have been.
\nLetting go of favorite images of God is painful and can shatter our comfortable religious world. If we are attentive to God\u2019s work here, the result will be a more authentic relationship with the one true God who has been waiting for us in the darkness from which we have likely been fleeing.
\nThe Apostle Paul experienced this radical religious transformation. Paul was blinded by God on the road to Damascus; that\u2019s darkness. After the return of his sight, believing brothers sent him off to Tarsus for several years of self-imposed exile (Acts 9:1-30). God set Paul aside until his entire set of images of God could be dismantled and then reconstructed on the solid foundation of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone.
\nOther signs.<\/strong> In the dark night of the soul, God is teaching us utter dependence upon Him. For this reason, every aspect of our lives that we turn to for fulfillment, satisfaction, or security may be challenged.
\nEven physical illness or limitation can become part of the dark-night experience. I am reminded of the Apostle Paul\u2019s repeated plea for God to remove the thorn in his flesh. Paul finally learned that the thorn kept him from becoming conceited and taught him complete dependence upon the grace of God (2 Cor. 12:7-10).
\nOften our dark-night experiences will involve some of what Jesus suffered. We may have to endure acts of injustice or betrayal\u2014 even by close friends\u2014that can bring profound disillusionment. Experiences such as these deepen our intimacy with the Lord and grow our compassion for what He did for us. A purification takes place when we cannot count on others; we are driven back to the Lord as the true and trustworthy friend.
\nA WILLING SOUL<\/strong>
\nOnce we\u2019ve identified what we\u2019re experiencing as a dark night of the soul, the question remains: How do we position ourselves to grow from it? There are some important ways we can cooperate with God during this unique spiritual transition.
\nHonestly express your emotions to God.<\/strong> Dark-night seasons are painful and disorienting. We may be hesitant to talk with God about what we\u2019re really feeling, especially what we may be feeling toward Him. But this is no time for pretending. God can handle our honesty. \u201cCast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you\u201d (1 Pet. 5:7).
\nFight the temptation to run from your distress.<\/strong> You may have been a goal-oriented, self-assured, and efficient Christian. Now, however, God has allowed a spiritual earthquake to occur. The temptation will be to recreate what you had before, much like the Israelites who wanted to return to slavery in Egypt rather than face future uncertainties with God.
\nDuring our recent testing, a wise friend said to me, \u201cTom, let it burn.\u201d This was solid advice. A dark night is not just some emotional tremor after which you can get back to life as usual. God is transforming your entire being. You will eventually enjoy a whole new way of seeing, believing, and living. Open yourself to the new life the Lord is birthing in you.
\nResist trying harder.<\/strong> God may remove you from activity during the dark night. Perhaps you have been too busy, too results-oriented, too much in control. You have a sense that it is OK to withdraw from previous commitments and involvements. When you finally let go, you may have to battle feeling lazy or guilty. Concerned friends and family may also suggest that you get busy again: \u201cTry harder,\u201d they\u2019ll seem to say, \u201cand you can pull yourself out of this.\u201d
\nRushing back into a life of frantic activity, however, is likely the opposite of what God would want you to do. Give yourself space to experience God differently. Rest, solitude, and silence are your best friends.
\nSeek companions.<\/strong> All change represents loss. Anytime we experience loss, we enter into grief. The emotions of grieving can include loneliness, self doubt, and anger\u2014even anger at God for seeming inscrutable and uncaring in the face of our agony. This is a good time to reach out to spiritually mature friends who are good and patient listeners. You want people who will hear you without trying to fix you, who will listen long and hard with you for the true voice of God. These caring friends can offer encouragement and perspective as you endure the unpredictable emotions of the dark night.
\nBe faithful, but release your expectations.<\/strong> When our experiences of God change, we may become anxious as we desperately seek the touch from God to which we\u2019ve become accustomed. It\u2019s good to remain faithful to our spiritual disciplines, but we need to let go of our expectations regarding how God may or may not respond to us.
\nBe patient with yourself and with God.<\/strong> Dark-night periods can last for months, a year, or even longer. The deeper changes at which God may be aiming take time. You may see little progress according to previous patterns of God\u2019s work in your life. This is new territory, new ground being plowed. Wait patiently, and pray for eyes to see inklings of the stronger future God is bringing about.
\nCall to mind God\u2019s faithfulness.<\/strong> Even though we\u2019re not sure what God is up to in the present, recalling His provision and leading in the past can steady us in disorienting times. Hold on to the truth you know: \u201cHe who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus\u201d (Phil. 1:6).
\nTOUCHING BED ROCK<\/strong>
\nThe dark night ultimately teaches us that we cannot control God, nor would it benefit us to do so. We need to die to ourselves in order to be transformed into people who can fully participate in the new order the whole creation is groaning toward (Ro. 8:19-22). So we give ourselves wholeheartedly to God who, in His goodness to us, often acts in ways that are surprising and unpredictable. I\u2019ve come to see, as John of the Cross did, that if we can stay open and spiritually aware during these unusual, searching times we learn truths about ourselves that we might never have discovered while living contentedly within our carefully constructed religious comfort zones.
\nMany times during our dark period, Judie and I cried out to God in pain, wondering what He was doing. We knew that God was not bringing these calamities into our lives. Nor was He punishing us. But now we see that He was using these hard circumstances to accomplish His deeper work of humility in us. We had much to learn and to let go of before we could finally and fully rest where we are today: on the solid bedrock of God\u2019s love. Now that we are emerging from this prolonged and painful time, we feel most fortunate. We have gotten all the way down to this richest place, a place where all that\u2019s left is all we will ever need\u2014God\u2019s great faithfulness.
\n\u2013by Tom L. Eisenman
\nUsed by permission of Discipleship Journal. Copyright \u00a9 March\/April 2005, Issue 146, The Navigators. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. www.navpress.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What’s really going on when God seems absent Our son\u2019s voice trembled on the other end of the phone line. I knew right away that Josh had called with the bad news we\u2019d hoped never to hear: Jada, our 14-month-old … <\/p>\n

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