21/08/2026
Despair and Questions in the trying times
LORD! Are You Even There?
A Christian life is not necessarily easier than that of a non-Christian. We live in the world, but we are not of the world (John 17:14–16). We are called to live according to the laws of the land while also submitting ourselves to God’s laws. This means that our thinking, choices and approach to life should be shaped by the Word of God, even when that may differ from the worldview around us.
But what happens when life becomes so painful that you begin to question the very God you have trusted?
I am sure many of us, myself included, have found ourselves in situations—some lasting for years—where we have questioned whether God sees us, whether He truly loves us and, at times, even whether He is there at all. When we go through painful, gut-wrenching seasons, we naturally expect our Father, who is omnipotent and has the power to do anything, to step in, change the situation or simply take the pain away.
And when He doesn't?
That is where faith can become incredibly difficult.
Our Christian brothers and sisters may come to us with well-meaning words and Scriptures about God's timing being different from ours, such as 2 Peter 3:8, which reminds us that with the Lord a day is like a thousand years. We may be reminded that God works things out in His time (Isaiah 60:22), or encouraged to wait patiently on the Lord (Lamentations 3:25).
These Scriptures are true. But I believe wisdom and discernment are needed when we use them to encourage someone who is going through an incredibly difficult season.
Sometimes, a person doesn't need another explanation about God's timing. Sometimes they simply need someone to sit with them in their pain.
We need to pray and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance about how we approach someone who is struggling. Our words, even when spoken with the best intentions, can either draw someone closer to God, push them further away, or encourage them to hold on just a little longer.
In my own walk with the Lord, I have experienced seasons of deep, wrenching pain—some lasting for long periods of time—when simply existing felt unbearable.
I have held on because of the belief I have in God's Word. It has not always been easy. There have been times when everything around me seemed to point in the opposite direction of what God had promised. And, as if that wasn't enough, the enemy has a way of whispering those painful questions:
Where is your God now?
Where is your Saviour?
If He loves you, why is He allowing this?
Yet somehow, I have held on.
I have held on because of God's Word. I have held on because of the love and encouragement of the people I do life with—people who have stood in the gap for me when I did not have the strength to stand for myself.
But above all, I have held on because I have remembered.
I have remembered the other times when God came through for me.
I have remembered the prayers He answered.
I have remembered the doors He opened.
I have remembered the times I thought I could not make it—and somehow, I did.
Sometimes, when we cannot see what God is doing in the present, we have to look back at what He has already done.
So, in those seasons of pain, disappointment and even suicidal thoughts, hold on to God.
Hold on when you don't understand.
Hold on when you cannot see the way forward.
Hold on when your circumstances seem to contradict everything you believe.
Declare His promises over your life. Stand firmly on His Word.
Surround yourself with people who will pray with you, encourage you and stand in the gap for you. And if you are struggling to keep going, reach out for help. Asking for help does not mean that your faith is weak.
Most importantly, remember who God is.
“God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfil?” — Numbers 23:19
You may not understand what He is doing, but He is working in the background.
You may not understand why He has allowed something to happen.
You may even find yourself crying out, “LORD! Are You even there?”
But the absence of an answer is not necessarily the absence of God.
He is there. He has not forgotten you.
So, even when you cannot see Him, hold on.
And remember the times He came through before.
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