Where is God?

"Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save;

Neither is His ear so dull that it cannot hear.

But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God,

and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear." Isa. 59: 1-2

What exactly is Isaiah speaking of in this passage?  I believe for most of my Christian life I would have answered that this is the condition of those apart from Christ.  In other words, those who do not know Jesus as Lord and savior do not have the Lord's ear.  What can you do?  You should take heart that his hand is not too short to save!  No matter who you are.  No matter what you have done.  Jesus can and will answer if you cry out to Him in repentance and faith!  For years I would have said this passage is for unbelievers and it is a call to faith.

Let me give an example.  I have heard tell that I have a relative who affirms that he was living a life of wickedness, marked by self-centered rebellion. As he was driving down a curvy, mountain road in West Virginia, he was stuck blind.  He called out to God, and the Lord allowed him to get to the side of the road, where he repented and regained his sight. Not only is this story strange, but no one saw it coming, least of all my relative!  God's hand is not too short that it cannot save.

Yet, what about those folks who are not believers and they cry out to the Lord for help with an accident or illness, and He answers their prayer?  I have heard stories of miraculous divine assistance to un-believers in car accidents.  I have heard stories of God answering the prayers of non-believers for healing.  As I ponder these examples, my understanding of who has the Lord's ear has changed a bit!

Let me give another example that works in the opposite direction.  Why is that so many Christians feel at different times in their lives that God does not hear them?  They trust in Jesus, what is going on?

Even as I spent time this morning speaking with the Lord in prayer and reading His word, I was struck by these questions.  I know there have been times and even seasons of my life where I wondered where the Lord was.  He just did not seem to hear my prayers for deliverance and my cries against evil.  Other times I did not feel peace even as I prayed for peace in the midst of life's storms.  Why?

One thing I have learned is that God's ways are not my ways.  What I feel and experience in this fallen world does not always match the ideal.  If I am God's child, why do I have such experiences?

I notice I have ended each thought with a question.  I think such questions- some would call them doubts- are helpful and good if they are handled properly.  What I mean is that we must not allow these questions to control our relationship with God.  Sometimes we must ask different questions.  

Instead of "Where are you and why have you not heard me," we should ask, "What are you trying to say?"  We must cling to and declare to our soul the promises of God.  By faith we are declared righteous.  We are His children and He loves us.  Jesus' righteousness is ours by faith.  This world is not all there is but is a shadow of eternal life.  We must meditate upon and believe these truths.

We also need to remember that the second verse of Isaiah 59 is also true.  "But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear."

The unbeliever who cries out for help often cries out for mercy.  For a brief moment they confess their inadequacies and need.  They are vulnerable before the living God, and He answers.

The believer stuck in a situation can easily ignore the cry for mercy and instead cry out for justice.  "Lord, bring justice to this situation!  This is so wrong, fix it!"  

Our demand for justice means it will begin with us.  The Lord often uses bad situations to help us grow.  He uses them to point out our self-righteousness, our pride, and our sin tendencies.  When He does so, we should repent and believe!  Cry out for mercy and confess your need for grace.  Such prayers the Lord does not despise.

In other words, a believer is justified or declared righteous in the sight of God by faith.  From the moment of first faith, the Lord begins to shape us and transform us by His grace toward our created good.  This process, called sanctification, is achieved through dependent faith.  So, when we depart from dependent faith, the Lord often calls us back to repentance and faith by pointing out our sin to drive us back to Jesus.  We may not want to hear about it, but such a state of repentant faith allows the Lord to hear us!

May you walk in dependent faith throughout this busy and stressful day!