In the song, “Never Alone,” the all female Christian Rock band, Barlow Girl, puts my dilemma into today’s words and music.
I waited for you today
But you didn’t show
No no no
I needed You today
So where did You go?
You told me to call
Said You’d be there
And though I haven’t seen You
Are You still there?
I cried out with no reply
And I can’t feel You by my side
So I’ll hold tight to what I know
You’re here and I’m never alone
And though I cannot see You
And I can’t explain why
Such a deep, deep reassurance
You’ve placed in my life
We cannot separate
‘Cause You’re part of me
And though You’re invisible
I’ll trust the unseen
In the words of the 70th Psalm/song, David, the rock thrower, calls out to God about his need.
Himself …“Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O Lord!” Verse 1.
He asks for God’s action on “those who desire and delight in my hurt…..Let them be… put to shame, confounded, turned backward, brought to confusion and dishonor, appalled because of their shame and disgrace.” Verse 2
For others like himself he asks…..For those who seek, inquire of, and for You/God…those who need you vitally….let these God loving people rejoice and be glad in You. May those who love Your salvation say continually, Let God be magnified! Verse 4
Finally, and urgently, he says of himself …..“But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not tarry! Verse 5
Sometimes we call out for help, and we are at a distance from the source of our help. Other times, we think we should be the source of help and are unable to provide. Planning a long distance wedding brings this to mind. As a mother, I have dreaded situations where my child might need me and I am unable to help as I would like. I have to let go of my “perfect helper” image. The fact is, I have done my best to help my daughter/bride in every way possible, but because of the distance and human faults, my ability has been impacted.
With God, this helper image is different. First we have to understand it. His presence is not like a human presence.
As Barlow Girl states, in spite of the absence of “feeling” God, or the lack of a “visual” God, we can still KNOW we are never alone. As humans, we tend to think if we can “see” what we need to help us, or “feel” what we need to help us, then we are positioned to receive help.
The fact is, “seeing” and “feeling” is overrated when it comes to the power of God. Yes, He operates in our realm of seeing and feeling, displayed by the gift of His son Jesus, BUT He is capable of so much more. We often don’t wait for Him, because we can’t “see” or “feel” Him, so we conclude He must not be there.
Here is a poor analogy, but it is the truth of my life for now. Even as I write this, my daughter cannot see me. I am 2 hours away. Neither can she feel me. Again, my hugs are two hours away. Yet I am so “there” for her in terms of what I want for her, my love for her, my anticipation for her, my support for her….the connection I have for her as her mother is as endless as humanly possible.
But my mother-love and her father’s love is minuscule compared to her Creator’s love for her. Even her new husband’s love for her, is not enough for all her eventual needs. That is a fact. We were created for love, but our complete fulfillment of our need for love is found in God. If we receive His love, He will NEVER LEAVES US ALONE.
Consider this. God is the love bank that should receive your dollars, because HE is able, and all else is eventually, not.