Where's God

Have you ever felt as if God went missing?  What do you do when everything you try is not working and God is not saying anything?  How do you feel when you have prayed, prayed and then everything seems to be the same?  I have been a Christian now over 42 years but these thoughts and questions continue to arise and especially so when life is turning out different then you expected.  A minister friend shared this verse, Isaiah 40:27-31 "Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God"?  Do you not Know?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;  but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."  There are some things that I know and there are some things I wish I knew concerning the activity of God in the lives of His children.  This I know: He is the everlasting God who will never change, He is the author and finisher of our salvation, He is stronger then anything I will face, He is our provider and promised to meet all our needs and to guide our steps.  I could go on and on concerning the things that I know about God and why I can place all my faith and hope in Him.  Now to the things that I wish I knew: though He has all wisdom and knows the beginning and the end I do not know how He is going to work out His plan in my life.  The timing of the activity of God does not fit my cognitive understanding which often leads to the questions that I started the blog.  I not know why if He is present and working out all things for my good that He does not often include me in that process of understanding what is happening.  I suppose He knows I would probably get in the way and mess things up but I still want to know.  I wish I knew why He withholds the feeling of His presence in times of need.  Now I know He does not do that all the time but it happens.  Let me conclude this blog by making a simple statement.  I must walk by faith on the things that I know about God and His ways not on how I feel.  The apostle Paul said "We live by faith not by sight."  II Corinthians 5:7  God is the everlasting God and has not changed but I do know He does all that He does do with our best interest in mind because His faithful love endures forever.  I can trust Him because He loves me and is faithful.
May God strengthen you during the times of your questions in your walk of faith.