God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. Psalms 46:1

 

Have you ever looked for God in times of trouble, questioning and loneliness? Mario wanted to go to church, but he had no car, and his badly injured leg made the 6-mile walk agonizingly painful, sometimes keeping him from getting there. On those days, he felt isolated and cut off from the world, wondering why God allowed his crooked leg or his wife’s departure three years earlier. Alone with his unanswered questions, he thought God might help him if he could just get to church.

Can you meet God at church? Possibly, but the Bible is full of people like Mario who met God right where they were. God is present and active in our moments between victory and tragedy, joy and sorrow, faith and doubt. He meets people in their depression and despair (1 Kings 19:1-14), their grief, tears (John 11:32-38), and helplessness (John 5:2-9). In fact, almost every story in the Bible is about how God met people in lack, fear, pain, or struggle.

God wants to be found by you in the present moment. Scripture tells that, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1). And it says that we come to know Him by being still and acknowledging His presence. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God!” (Psalm 46:10)

Like the writers of the Bible who poured out their hearts to God in lament and praise, we too can express our deepest longings and fears to God and know that He hears us. Conversation with God doesn’t need to happen in a church, nor does it need to stop in our struggles or doubts.  You can meet God right here, right now, and experience His love and tenderness.