Lord, where are you?

How easy it is to get incredibly caught up into our own lives!  Even in just the everyday, those mundane tasks can quickly consume our time and before we know it, our lives start to resemble something similar to the movie Groundhog Day.  I wonder if anyone is like me and has found themselves in an unfamiliar spiritual place all of a sudden.  Alarmingly, I find myself asking...

Lord, where are you?

I know He's there, but lately it's been hard to feel Him, sense Him, experience Him.  I remember hearing a sermon once where the teacher believed there are strategic times in our lives where God pulls back.  He doesn't go away, mind you, but that sweetness that comes from His presence is missing.  This particular teacher believed God does this from time to time so that He can teach us something.  That seems to be how He works, isn't it?

I wonder how many of us simply go through our lives developing habits and ways of thinking that we don't even realize we've started, and all of a sudden, we find ourselves feeling dry, empty, lonely even.  And here's the kicker...nothing of significance has to even happen to put us in that low place. 

(Lord knows just a wave of hormones can put us women in a funk in no time flat.)

It just seems, especially for those of us who have a lot of time on our hands, it's quite easy to find ourselves in an unfamiliar place with the Lord with no explanation whatsoever.  You just wake up one day feeling "emotionally weak, physically exhausted and spiritually deflated." (Words straight out of my devotional this morning.)  Could it be that we have found ourselves in this place as a result of a life lived outside the standards and alignment set for us by God?  Perhaps we've heard His gentle whispers along the way, those heavenly nudges to be cautious, those divinely inspired reminders of dangerous water ahead...so to speak.  And for whatever reason, we've chosen to ignore Him.  Perhaps, not even out of defiance, but just because...just because we don't have to do what He says.

If any of this is resonating, thank God, I am not alone.  In an effort to get ourselves back on steady ground, could we take a moment to simply encourage one another?  I want to pray for you, whomever finds herself reading this in this moment.  And would you pray for me?  One thing I know...our biggest spiritual weapon is prayer. Oh, how we take it for granted!  But it is at our disposal at all times and the Lord wants us to use it.  It is what leads to victory in our lives, and if we can remember to give God the glory in all situations, He will give us the victory.  Amen?

Father God,
Nothing reminds us more of how human we are when we find ourselves feeling down, deflated and empty.  Thank you for reminding us that we can not make it without you.  Help us to feel your presence today, and in the moments where we can't seem to find you, help us to be relentless in pursuing you anyway.  Give us peace in knowing that you are always there, you will never forsake us, and that every moment given to us in this life is an opportunity to grow closer to and more dependent on you.  I pray for whomever is reading this prayer right now at this very moment.  I pray that you would meet her needs, that you would reveal yourself to her, and that you would heal, restore, replenish and revive her heart, soul and mind.  When it's hard for us to track you, Lord, remind us that some of your biggest miracles happen in the pursuit, the trial, the waiting period.  Help us to know that our biggest victories come while we're along the journey.  Help us to love you with our lives.  Help us to lean not on our own understanding but to trust you at all times and in every way.  We love you, Jesus. 
Amen.