My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? But you are holy.(Psalms 22:1, 3a NKJV)

There are times when all believers may feel like God has gone on vacation.  We should not be too surprised when we experience this feeling, as David and even Jesus on the Cross felt abandoned.  The key to dealing with these times is to say, as David did, but God is good.

It is not really easy to feel abandoned.  God knows your pain.  Jesus expressed his sorrow on the Cross and David often conveyed his grief without condemnation from God.  Yet, in David’s dialogue with God, most often there was a point where David said, but God is good.  In our sufferings, we must always have that “but God moment.”

At some point in our conversation with God, it is necessary to interject in good times and in bad, the sovereignty God.  All things that happen to us may not be caused by God, but he at least allows them.  A very therapeutic thing for us is to realize that in all our trials and struggles, God is still in control, and for all who love him are for our ultimate good.

“The Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings” (Psalms 145:17 RSV).  God is good all the time.  If we never come to the “but God” stage of our trials, we will devolve into the “why God” juncture and start to doubt the character of God.  Are you at the “but God” or “why God” response to your circumstances? One leads to victory, the other to unbelief and defeat.

I worked for seventeen years as a missionary with Youth With A Mission.  My missionary work has taken me to Mexico, Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Spain, and Ukraine.  I hold a Masters of Education in curriculum and instruction from Virginia Commonwealth University.  [email protected]