Going To God
It can be hard going to God when you are struggling with something. This could be for many different reasons. Maybe you haven’t talked to Him in a while, maybe you think He will just judge you, or maybe you just don’t have a relationship with Him at all and don’t see the point in it. All of these reasons show that you may not understand God at all. God, as Creator, made you and the entire world. He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to die for you (John 3:16) and then rise again so that you would have eternal life with Him. Eternal life with Him only comes through repentance and believing what Jesus has done for you. All that God did demonstrates just how much He loves you. You were worth the price of death so that you could be forever with Him. Once you believe this, it will begin to change your life in the way you live, act, and speak. You will realize that you want to please Him, not because you are worried you will be judged if you don’t and just sent to hell, but because His love, mercy, and compassion changes you. God becomes Who you want to glorify. Once that spotlight and pressure is taken off of you, and goes onto the One who created you, your life can become a lot less stressful. This is a result of beginning to know that God is the One you can turn to when you feel you have no one else or that no one else understands.
There is peace that comes with knowing Him, joy that comes with loving Him, and strength that comes with trusting Him.
The book of Psalms is a personal favorite of mine. David, the author of most of the Psalms, writes to God with such vulnerability in each season of his life. He tells God when he is angry, afraid, joyful, sad, determined, in despair- most every emotion you can think of. In other words, the book of Psalms is filled with proclamations, pleas, and praises. So, when I feel that I can’t put something into words, or don’t want to talk with anyone about my struggles and mental battles, I turn to God through the Psalms. I have many that I have turned to during different times in my life, but today I am only going to share bits of two different ones. I encourage you to read the rest of each of these Psalms, at some point, and any others you may start to come across. I hope this first Psalm I share will bring you comfort.
Psalm 139:7-10 states, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”
Again, I strongly encourage you to read the rest of this Psalm as it is linked for you and is one that explains just how much God knows you. This section in particular is one I have prayed before I go to sleep. When my mind is racing and it is hard to settle down, I recite this to remind me that God is everywhere. He is present and in control of everything. It makes me feel small and comforted at the same time. I usually overthink the stuff in my day to day life, so I remind myself that God is in charge of literally everything, and yet is still with me in each moment.
The last Psalm that I will be taking a verse from is Psalm 25. This Psalm is one I have turned to when I was hurt and struggling emotionally. It covers proclaiming that David will trust in the LORD, reminding God of what He says, and asking Him for help. In verse four David asks God, “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.” This shows it is okay to ask God questions and to ask Him to clarify things for you. The only thing is that it doesn’t mean He will always give you an answer because He wants you to learn to trust Him. If we knew and understood the answer to everything, we would be God and wouldn’t need Him. But we are not God, therefore, we do need Him. He gives our minds and bodies rest as long as we trust in who He is. When you ask the question, like David did, of wanting the Lord to teach you and make His ways known, you shift from your understanding to seeking His understanding. In addition, you begin to look to Him in every decision you make. This is a tough thing, to start to give what control you think you have to God and surrendering it all to Him. Yet, this is also very comforting when you do it.
Therefore, the times you think you can’t turn to God, should be when you actually cling to God and what you know about Him.
You can then witness His faithfulness, and how He works. You will learn that God is closer to you than anyone else and that He can always be trusted. Each of the Psalms shared above indicate how God knows all and is in control of more than we could comprehend. Yet, He is still listening to your prayers and questions, while being active with you every second of everyday. God loves you unconditionally and wants to comfort you. I hope and pray you start to recognize Him working in your life, and realize just how good He is to you.
