Why have you failed me God? I know you are powerful to do anything and everything so why won’t you take this situation away ? Are you punishing us for something? What is the point of all this pain? How can a loving God seat and watch His child go through so much pain and disappointment and not lift a finger? You know i trust you, am looking to you, I know you are more than able so why God ? Why?
Quarantine life positions us to face the things and situations that busy life schedules never afforded us to confront and deal with. This time has afforded us much needed yet ignored introspection and reflection. Facing the difficult circumstances and situations is painful and a busy life was a welcome escape.
It may be a prolonged job search, waiting to get married, waiting to conceive children, figuring out your purpose here on earth, death of a loved one, miscarriage, sick child, special needs children, in the process of a divorce, separated, conflict, sickness, and many others.. We shall refer to these situations as valley seasons. You have prayed about the situation yet the waiting continues. God seems silent and the frustration of His silence on the matter has left the bitter after taste of Disappointment in God.
This is true even for the people who believe in God, who have have experienced His love and goodness and testify of His grace and mercy day in and day out. Well meaning as the ones close to us will say TRUST in God , keep the faith, keep believing, it low key makes one mad and angry with God for not intervening yet we know He has the power to.
For a believer, we know in our hearts of hearts that we have to return , to turn back to God. To bring Him the pain and disappointment we are experiencing , to kick and scream at Him if need be, to air out the raw emotions we are experiencing. He is not afraid of it, He is not surprised by it, and actually He welcomes it all.
Your relationship with God has to be completely and sincerely authentic. No pretending, no faking; just the real you with the One who knows you much more than you know yourself, He who created you.
It takes courage to dare to confront this pain honestly with God. I can assure you that God welcomes this honesty. He will not be offended by it, rather He will use it as an invitation to reveal Himself more to you. I encourage you to take your pain to God, don’t dress it up and try to make it look pretty, be real about where you are at especially when in the ‘valley’.
The ‘valley’ is characterised by fear, anxiety, pain, turmoil and waiting used in the faith refining process. Our faith in God is tested. Do you really trust Him, Is He really good? Is His love true? Can you worship Him in the midst of pain, turmoil, disappointment and frustration? The lies of the enemy sound louder than TRUTH because the anchor of the faith you profess is under inspection.
The TRUTH is
Gods love is constant and consistent. His love is not diminished in any way in the valley seasons of life. He is still good. His character remains true regardless of what we may be experiencing. In His goodness , He will use everything that happens ; good and bad to make us Christlike. When He allows us to go through difficulties, God is not being vindictive, on the contrary His love is at work. There is a purpose to all the pain, tribulations and troubles we go through in this life. They are working for our good and God’s glory. Valley seasons are not random, they are very purposeful.
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. (James 1:2-4 )
None of us willingly choose to go through pain and suffering in the hopes of growth to be more Christlike. How can we even consider pain, suffering, disappointment, frustration, trials and tribulations joy?
The consideration of joy is only a possibility when we are assured of God’s presence with us in the midst of the pain and suffering. Like the Psalmist David pens, Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. (Psalm 23:4) We are assured of His protection, of His grace and His help in it all. For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you. So we can say with confidence, ‘The lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? (Hebrews 13:5b)
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son, so that His Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, He called them to come to Him. And having called them, He gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. (Romans 8:28-30)
Child of God, look and see that the Lord is with you in that pain, difficulty, suffering and frustrating situation. He never left your side. Ask Him to wipe the tears and show you His perspective of it all. He is good, and you are dearly loved by Him. You can get the courage to face another day in the valley with the assurance that God is with you.
Hallelujah.