Don't Give Up On God, Alan!

 by Larry Guido

I’m not sure who Alan is or who left the note attached to the handle of the door of the Chapel, but there it was. What I do know is that the note came from a group of young people who came to the Chapel to pray for Alan and knew that he would also be coming to the Chapel to pray. That’s why they left the note. I’m not sure what difficulty Alan was struggling with, or what problem he might have been facing, or what his situation in life was either. But, Alan must have been struggling, really struggling, and was about to give up and give in because of what he is or was facing, thinking it is or was bigger than his God. It only makes sense to want to give up.

If we are honest, Alan is a representative of most of us at one time or another in our walk with the Lord. We pray. We believe. We trust. We hope. We take God at His Word. We believe His promises. We know He is willing and able. We have evidence of His miracles in the lives of others. We know His truth endures forever. We know He has been faithful in the past. But where is He today? Why is my prayer unanswered, Lord? I’m hurting. My loved ones are hurting. The one I’m praying for is hurting. Really hurting. Why, God, all this hurt? What am I to do? I might as well give up!

Truth is, standing between us and the solution to our pain and suffering, our disease and despair is our God Who we know can do what, at the moment, seems impossible. But where is our “God of the gaps” at this moment when we need Him?

Truth is, I have no answer. And, I’m not sure anyone does. But, can we find an answer from our God who is missing? Are there words in His Word that we can claim, cling to, and cherish that will comfort our hearts and calm our minds?

Perhaps. Let me share some “seeds” with you that have been “germinating” in my mind. Some of them came from an article I read some time ago.

WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE GIVING UP – BE HONEST WITH GOD ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT GOD. In Psalm 13:1, 2 David cried, “How long, Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have my sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” If we believe what we say we believe, that God knows what is in our heads and hearts, why not speak it and plead our case before Him and let Him hear our stress and distress? If it matters to us, it surely must matter to Him, and if it matters to Him surely His love, mercy, grace, salvation, and hope will prevail at the just the right moment! And, in between the pain and His promise of deliverance, remember . . .

GOD HAS PROMISED HIS STRENGTH WHEN WE NEED IT. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul wrote, “Strengthened with all might according to His glorious power, for all patient and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partners of the inheritance of the saints in the light.” (1:11, 12) Often when facing a painful problem, family and friends have said, “Be strong, Larry you can do it. Be brave courageous and don’t give up.” But I knew that I wasn’t strong or courageous and had lost my “bravery badge” and had even given up. Why? My “human power” was insufficient, and I knew that my “willpower” was not enough to solve most problems. Truth is that we know intellectually – that His “glorious power” is, and not until I became honest with Him and expressed my personal feelings of inadequacy was I able to “let go and let God.” I had to admit as did one of Jesus’ followers: “Lord I believe, help my unbelief!” We must profess as Paul did when he said, “My strength is made complete when I admit my weaknesses!” It is then, and only then, that the Lord will be willing to take control of “the situation.”

GOD WILL NOT ABANDON US IN OUR DAY OF ADVERSITY OR DURING OUR DARKEST NIGHT. Again, when we listen to the cry of David and feel his sense of panic, we can be assured of God’s salvation when we pray: “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me! I look to You for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of Your wings until the danger passes by. I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill His purpose for me! He will send help to rescue me.” (57:1, 2) Although we may feel vulnerable and helpless, we know from the experience of God’s heroes in the Bible that “He will never leave us nor forsake us” and that He, as David said, will fulfill His purpose in our lives for His glory and honor. It has never been easy for me to sit patiently through a long, painful lesson without complaining and grumbling and wanting to give in and give up. However, I must admit that eventually, I came to recognize and accept the fact that He has always had a purpose for what He was doing in my life or a lesson for me to learn that I would be more effective in my service for Him.

Being disappointed in family and abandoned by friends is a common experience that we have all endured. And, perhaps, it is because we store these experiences, surrounded by deep resentments, that we become impatient with and anxious to give up on God when life seems against us and our foes are about to overwhelm us. Why not give up and then give in? It’s only normal and natural not to want to deal with pain and hurt, doubt and uncertainty, disappointment and disgrace. It is easy to want to give in to the unwelcomed event or unwanted challenge in our lives. Though we may expect our Heavenly Father to treat us as others treat us, it is unfair to Him. We must look beyond what is to what can be and eventually will be through the mercy and grace of a loving, caring God. We must accept His promises as though they were intended for us individually - because, indeed they are! We must claim them and then cling to them because He has given them to us in His Word - and His Word will accomplish His purpose. Remember, even Jesus asked His Father to “let this cup pass from Me.” However, God did not take the cup from Him. In fact, He didn’t even answer His Son at that moment in history. But we do know that God was with His beloved Son, and we know that as He was with Jesus, He will be with us. Speaking from His own personal experience, Jesus said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you!”

We can, if we choose, not give in to what is or to give up on God’s love, mercy, grace, salvation, hope and power, if we willingly recognize and accept the fact that God is working in us, with us, and through us to accomplish His purpose for us!

July 2019