One of the toughest things I find to cope with, in this walk with God, is times when He seems quiet and reserved. I’ve often found myself in these situations where it seems that Heaven is silent. Times where the extension of your heart feels unmet. Those times where you face confusion and even desperation. What do you do when the divine “hide and seek” game leaves you feeling like you failed? “Why aren’t you speaking?” “What do I do?” “God, I need an answer!” These are the times I struggle with the most. I’ve found that in these moments, it is a true test of our commitment and resolve. I have by no means mastered this area, I often find myself get worse off before getting better. But I have found ways to navigate through these challenging times. My prayer is that as you read this, you find peace in the pursuit. To truly “not grow weary in your well doing.”
Worship — I have found that the fastest way to silence the enemy or even the racing of your own thoughts is to lose yourself in worship. Worship is the greatest self-sacrificing act you can do for God. Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” It sometimes is a struggle to come to the point where nothing else matters, but it’s worth the journey. When God is exalted in your heart and mind, the trials and challenges seem insignificant. In the magnifying of God, you minimize the power of any problem. We are created for worship, and our very lives should be a worship song to the One who is worthy of it all. Worship allows you to move from being overwhelmed by circumstances to being overwhelmed by His perfect love. That transition alone changes your life.
Wait — Once you’ve abandoned yourself in worship, this is the time to wait on God. This can sometimes be the hardest thing to do. In today’s culture, everything is expected to be quick. We have become an impatient society filled with fast food, instant entertainment, and instant connectivity. This is not always the case with God. There are times when we must wait on Him. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.” It’s in this place of waiting that we hear all the chatter going on in our minds. We need to realize that the silence is for our benefit. It allows us to come in contact with our own thought processes that so often dictate our realities. When we can come to a place of stillness before God, there is a peace available to us that surpasses our own understanding of situations. That peace guards our hearts and minds from the deception that often creeps in.
Wisdom — That place of peace and rest in the presence of God, is where we find wisdom. Wisdom goes beyond simple knowledge in that knowledge gives us insight in what to do, and wisdom gives us insight in to how to do it. We can know what needs to be done in situations of our lives, but still fumble it up in how we act things out. This is why this place of peace and stillness is so critical to receiving the wisdom of God. Psalm 51:6 says, “Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
Win — Once you’ve received God’s wisdom to know what to do, you are positioned to win. The Bible says to “fight the good fight of faith.” That good fight is the fight you win. We were never meant to live defeated. We often get to that point of perceived defeat when we fail to understand the purpose of God’s hiddeness. God loves to be pursued, and in that pursuit, we discover how truly awesome He is and how truly awesome He is in us. So stay the course and enjoy His game of “Hide and Seek”.