“How long O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?”
When we are standing the midst of a tragedy, the first inclination many have is to question the presence of God. How can He be real when horrible things occur? How can we stand in faith and hope when he appears to be gone? It is those moment when the evil presence of the world closes in around us that we feel the most alone.
God knows there are times we will feel completely disconnected from Him. He understands the hurt we are facing; after all, he suffered the ultimate loss when He allowed the sacrifice of His son. He also recognizes there are times we will speak out against Him in hurt and anger, times we will criticize and question. Those moments are never taken away from us. God does not try to pull us from the depth of despair, instead He climbs down and sits with us until we are ready to leave.
But, God goes one step further; He works to ensure we are never fully alone. God has commissioned His followers to be His hands and feet. We are to support one another through those difficult times. We can offer support, kind words, or sometimes just our presence. No matter the need, simply being there can make a huge difference. But, it is not only the large obviously overwhelming moments where we need to support others; our daily living needs to do the same.
God will never forsake us. He is always there, walking beside us, sitting in the midst of despair, or sometimes even carrying us. He also provides us with support in others.