We’ve all been there. By there, I mean been in a situation where we doubted if God was ever going to come through for us. 

Each of us faces challenges and struggles every day of our lives. Some of these challenges are small—perhaps as simple as trying to find a parking space in a crowded parking lot. Other challenges can severely test our faith—perhaps a family member has received a negative diagnosis from a doctor.

The question many of us ask ourselves during these trying times is, Where is God in this situation? 

If you’re like me, you tend to question God during these times, even challenging Him to show up and do something positive to affirm His love for us.

It’s easy to point our finger at God and ask Him why He has allowed this bad thing to happen to us. 

After all, we’re good Christians, right? We read our Bible, go to church, pray, and perhaps even give when the offering plate is passed around. Why shouldn’t God bless us when negative circumstances come into our lives?

This isn’t a simple question to answer by any means. By expecting God to bless us when we do the things He expects of us, we’re completely taking His love and mercy out of the picture.

We’re reducing God to some sort of magical genie whose only purpose is to grant us wishes upon our request.

And that is not what God is at all. Sure, He can do anything He wants. However, His plans often don’t coincide with what we think is best for our lives. In fact, more often than not, they don’t. 

It is during these times of trials that we simply must trust in God and His plan, understanding that He knows best and that,

for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Rom. 8:28

I have had to lean on that verse many times when things weren’t going my way.

God is bigger than I am, and He knows how to run the universe. He doesn’t need me telling Him how I think He should do things, as He is perfectly capable on His own.

However, believing that God can and does do what is best doesn’t always translate into a feeling of peace and calm for me.

Does that mean that my faith is somehow lacking? Yes, it probably does. It most likely means that I’m not relying on Him to work everything out for the best.

A good verse to read and meditate on when things aren’t going your way is Psalm 91. Here are verses 2 through 6:

I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,

    my God, in whom I trust.”

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler

    and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his pinions,

    and under his wings you will find refuge;

    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

You will not fear the terror of the night,

    nor the arrow that flies by day,

 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,

    nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

This passage can give us hope in God’s goodness and protection when it seems like all is lost. It conveys to us the love of God for His people and the protection that He has promised to us.

We can also keep in mind Psalm 103, especially verses 17 and 18:

But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,

    and his righteousness to children’s children,

 to those who keep his covenant

    and remember to do his commandments.

We can rest confidently on God’s promise to look out for us during all the trials we are sure to face while living on this fallen earth.

That doesn’t mean that everything is always going to work out how we think they should, because often they won’t. 

We can, however, feel certain that God is in control and that His plan will be for our benefit. It takes faith to continue trusting God even in the midst of circumstances that look hopeless. 

But we know that with God, all things are possible. Plus, we have His promise that He is always on our side.

So, the next time you’re facing a challenge in life, just remember that God has everything under control. 

He exists outside of time, meaning He is in the past, present, and future all at the same time.

Even though our human bodies can only experience life moment by moment, God has already been where we’ve been and where we’re going. It’s just up to us to trust Him.