My God, My God, why have you forsaken me!

Does God really come closer to you when you are fearful or in trouble?  I would say the answer is “no.”  God is always there with you, through good times and bad.  It is our perception of His closeness that changes, or perhaps we who stray from Him.  Several times recently when I have had to make difficult decisions, or felt that I was being attacked by Satan, I prayed to God and said “Lord, draw closer to me, be with me, come alongside me and hold me up, protect and guide me through this time of need.”  But, as I reflect on the words prayerfully spoken in my times of stress, fear, confusion, depression, or disorientation, I realize that God was, and always will be, with me.  It is me that has wandered away from His protective presence, or simply forgotten that He is actually right beside me all along.

I think of my own children when they were young, when we would be in an unfamiliar place.  At first my kids would be walking right next to me, tucked in close, oftentimes even holding on to my pant leg or my hand.  Inevitably though, they become confident in their own abilities and start to release their grip.  They venture out from me, first a foot or two, and then several feet away.  As they begin to rely on themselves they grow even bolder and strike further off on their own, while staying within my view of course.  They may think they are out completely on their own from their perspective; however from my viewpoint they are still under my close watch and protection.

Eventually something would happen that would cause my child to become fearful or concerned.  They’d encounter something that they realized they could not control or handle on their own and they would start looking for Daddy.  They’d reach out to grab my hand and find that I was not right beside them as they thought and cry out for help.  As the distance between them and me sinks in, they run back to the safety and comfort of their Daddy and once again grab hold of my leg.  To my kids, I needed to come closer to them in their time of need.  But, from my perspective, I never left them and was always right there to provide protection and comfort when called on.

Psalm 23 is a great example of the Lord being with us in times of need. 

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
² He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
³ He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

⁴ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
⁶ Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Notice that the writer of the psalm refers to God as “He” as in “He makes me lie down,” “He leads me,” “He restores my soul,” and “He guides me.”  But when the tough times come, and the writer “walks through the valley of the shadow of death” the story changes.  Now it is “You” instead of “He.”  Lord “You are with me,” “Your rod and Your staff comfort me,” “You prepare a table,” and “You have anointed my head with oil.”  The writer’s perspective of God changes in that now God is right beside him, with him and protecting him.  The pronoun changes to “You.”

God is always right there with us, providing protection, comfort, and guidance as needed.  Deuteronomy 31:6 says “Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For it is the Lord your God who goes with you; He will not leave you or forsake you.”