Why Aren’t You Answering?

Have you ever felt like this toward God? I recall times I prayed and cried and called and begged and … no response. Nothing. Not even an “I’m sorry, but I can’t take your call right now.” message.

David had the same experience in today’s Scripture passage. He called out to God, and God did not respond. He says he prayed day and night. Day and night, he looked for an answer. And he got … nothing.

My God, I cry out to you throughout the day, but you do not answer; and throughout the night, but I have no rest. You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. Our ancestors trusted in you; they trusted and you delivered them. They cried out to you and escaped; they trusted in you and were not put to shame. (Psalm 22:2-5 ISV)

Virtually every Believer has had such an experience. One such time, I prayed constantly for direction in a very critical situation. I said (verbatim): “Why won’t You give me direction? I feel that You’ve put me out in the woods blindfolded, and all I’m doing is bumping into trees! I feel like a pinball. Will You PLEASE show me the path?” (I have a very direct relationship with God.)

And do you know what I got? Nothing. No direction. Zip. Or so I thought.

In time, looking back, everything God did looked like a precision military operation. It all happened exactly as it should when it should. In the moment, I could see none of this. It was during that time that I was (loudly!) expressing my frustration to God.

I learned a lot from that experience–not the least of which is to trust Him even when I cannot perceive Him. Especially then, I must trust Him. If He is who He says He is, He will do what He says He will do. If He is not and will not, we all are wasting our time.

David says something to which we should pay attention: “They cried out to you and escaped; they trusted in you and were not put to shame.” This summarizes what I believe: Trust in God, and He will work it out.

These times come because God–in His love for us–sometimes withholds His response. It is difficult, and it hurts. It can be bewildering and confusing. We wonder why. But once we understand, the bond of love between God and us grows exponentially. Because I learned this lesson the hard way in hard times, I now know I can trust Him at all times.

I seldom know the details of situations in which I find myself. Candidly, we are in one right now. I must apply what I teach here, what I learned in the “blindfold” time I described above. Because of what I learned, I have a far greater peace now than I would have had otherwise.

This is what I want for you, too. And I know you can have it.

The bottom line is a question: Is God who He says He is? Do you believe He is who He says He is? If you do, then you have a decision to make. Just because God does not answer you when you think He should does not mean He does not love you or care about your circumstances. It is just the opposite.

Trust that God loves you enough to do what needs to be done for your best over your comfort. As one who has made the decision I alluded to, let me encourage you: Make the decision to let Him do it. This is your choice.