"Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah." (Psalm 77:9)

We've all been there . . . perhaps you're there right now. You feel that God has removed Himself from you, that He has shut up His bowels of mercy toward you or, at the very least, just not responded to your pleas for help. Nothing can overwhelm us more than life's circumstances—family, job, friends, health, money, decisions, ministry . . . the list goes on!

Please be assured: God has NOT shut up His bowels of compassion toward you, He has not removed His presence from your life, AND He hears your cries for help. He has never left; He has never forgotten to be gracious. God's presence is with us always; He's omnipresent . . . present everywhere, every time, in everything.

There is a place of maturity each one of us needs to attain. On that road to maturity, there are times when we may feel all alone, when life's circumstances seem to overwhelm us. These times are given to us for a purpose, to allow His will for us to be perfected in us. We can't be on a spiritual "high" every day of our lives. We have to learn to "maintain" while walking through those dark areas on the road to maturity. We need to learn to trust Him when we "feel" Him and when we don't. It all boils down to FAITH. Take Abraham, for instance. He went years and never saw the manifestation of God's promise in his life, yet He believed God, he believed His promise to him and it was imputed to him for righteousness.

Exercise the arm of faith while in the midst of your difficult time. Trust God that He knows exactly what He's doing in your life and that it will bring about fruit that is mature and pleasing in His sight.

Father, help me to trust You even when You seem so far away. Help me to hold on to You even when the doors of heaven seem shut as I pray. Lord, I thank You that Your mercies are never-ending, that Your love is steadfast and never ceases, and that Your faithfulness toward me is great. amen!

"Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (Deuteronomy 31:6)

© Jan Ross
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