“I will say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” As with a breaking of my bones, My enemies reproach me, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.” – Psalms 42:9-11 NKJV
As someone who has been a Christian for more of her life than not, I think that I struggle with entitlement on occasion. I know the right thing to feel is that everything is a gift, and that I should give thanks in everything, and that I should believe that the Lord is good and has great plans for me. I’ll be the first to admit, however, that sometimes I don’t think that way. I can get wrapped up in the one thing I asked God for, why He hasn’t responded, and how I suddenly feel abandoned, forgotten or left behind. Granted, not everything is as trivial as I have made it sound – and I am sure not everything you have been angry at God for is trivial either. There are real tragedies around us, hardships and disasters. We go to Him for solutions and leave with what we feel is inadequate for the situation. For those of us who think we have loved Him well, it can be frustrating.
A Familiar Feeling
David felt the same way. In Psalm 42, he explains to God in his song that he desires Him, but that his soul is cast down. He asks God where He is, why He has forgotten him, and explains that even his enemies are wondering. In the most personally relatable section, he takes it a step further by saying that ““My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration!” (vs. 4 NLT). He is honest with God.
He Remains Our God and Our Friend
This scripture reminds me that I am not the first to feel forgotten, that as the Word says, “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). It reminds me to bring my difficult and occasionally entitled emotions to His feet. It is a call to his soul to remember who the Lord is, what He has done, and the truth of His intentions for us. No matter how seasoned you are, or how much practice you’ve had with Jesus, it is hard not to feel slighted when you have been the Lord’s “champion”. It is hard to not be embarrassed that it hasn’t worked out, especially when others are gaining it through the wrong avenues. But obedience is always worth it, and He will always be our help.
My prayer is that in everything, you are reminded to lay it all at His feet, because He is not afraid of your emotions. I pray that you can counter your feelings with His truth. I also pray that even as a person of faith, or as someone who has been toiling this ground for a long time, or as someone who has even felt let down by God, that you remain with Him and in Him. God is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19). God is not a wicked God. God has good plans for you. Despite what it may look like, His path is always the best one to take.
If you are asked where He is in your story, remember to say that He is always right where you are (Matthew 28:20).
