As a pastor (and as a person), I hear the question "Where is God?" a fair bit. This Time Magazine article cover asks the same question slightly differently by asking "Is God dead?"

Generally, people are not wondering where God physically is (though I have had that one too). Usually, the question is more like "Where is God when __________?" - Fill in the blank with a negative circumstance from my life.

Honestly, I ask God that question regularly. When life doesn't make sense, God often seems distant. So, I'm going to ask some tough questions you might be dealing with...

Where is God when a boyfriend/girlfriend you love dumps you?
Where is God in the middle of an argument between a husband and wife?
Where is God when you invest in a friend and he/she betrays you?
Where is God when I pray for a job and I lose the one I had?
Where is God when someone I pray for doesn't get better?

Deep down underneath, all these questions are really asking THIS question:

WHERE IS GOD WHEN I don't see Him, can't hear Him, and don't feel Him?

When I don't see/hear/feel God...
1. God is right where He has always been.
God is loving me the same, providing for me the same, and preparing an eternal future for me just the same as He promised. In fact, He is providing grace for me to get through the pain I am currently blaming Him for. He knows that when it's over, I'll recognize all He was doing behind the scenes. God is fine with delayed gratification... so why is it that I'm not?

Here's the thing...

When I don't see/hear/feel God...
2. God is more concerned with changing my heart than the circumstances in my life.
More often than not, I want God to be "Mr. Fix-It," but God wants to change my heart. The crappy situation I am currently dealing with is actually God's platform for my future. In order to get where He wants me to go, I need to learn to trust Him as much in the bad situations as in the good ones. Of course God is capable of changing the situation, but I think He is much more interested in my heart than I give Him credit for.

BOTTOM LINE: when I don't see/hear/feel God, HE IS THERE. Odds are, if I'm praying about it, God's working on it! But what He's working on may not be the situation: it's probably MY HEART.

My encouragement to you today if you're going through a tough situation: focus on how God wants to change you in the midst of it!

P.S. If you are dealing with a painful situation right now, email me Kyle@LoveHopeCity.com. I'd love to pray for you.

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