The Missing God

A couple who lived in a small town had two young boys, ages 8 and 10, who were excessively mischievous. They were always getting into trouble. It seemed that if any mischief occurred in their town, the boys were in some way involved.

The parents really tried. But, whether it was their own lack of parenting skills or just the nature of the boys, nothing seemed to work. Both husband and wife were at wit's end as to what to do about their sons' behavior. The mother then heard about a minister in town that had apparently been successful in disciplining other unruly children in the past. Willing to try anything, she asked her husband if he thought they should contact the minister and inquire if they could send the boys to see him. Her husband, feeling as frustrated as she did, said that they might as well since they had nothing to lose.

The minister, after listening to the plight of the parents, agreed to meet the boys and speak to them. But he asked to see them individually, rather than together. The eight year old was sent to him first. The minister sat the boy down and asked him, "Where's God?"

The boy was dumfounded. He made no response. He just sat there with his eyes wide open staring at the minister. So the minister repeated the question in a louder and sterner voice, "Where is God?"

Still no response. No reaction. So the minister raised his voice even more, got right in front of the boy and shook his finger in the boy's face. "Where is God?" he thundered. The frightened boy bolted from the room and ran all the way home. He hid himself in his bedroom closet.

The boy's older brother saw him come home in a state of panic. So, he followed his younger brother into the closet and asked him, "What happened?" The eight year old replied, "We are in really BIG trouble this time. God is missing and they think WE did it!"

Do you sometimes feel as if God is missing in your life? When you do feel that way, just remember that YOU did it. God does not leave us; we leave Him. Jesus Christ promised us that He would always be with us and that through Him God would give us His Holy Spirit. Not because we did or can do anything to deserve it, but by God's grace. I am not writing this to make you feel guilty when you do not feel God's presence in your life. If you are a Christian who has accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior and you have consecrated your life to Him, then you need to be living by faith. What you feel is not fact. God is with you whether or not you feel like He is. He is not missing. It is your own feelings that are incorrect.

No matter how much trouble you have gotten into or have caused others, God is still there waiting for you. You need to accept this fact and acknowledge His presence. Confess your feelings to Him. Turn those feelings over to Him. Thank Him for His great love and presence in your life.

One other suggestion: confess how you feel to some one else, to a brother or sister in God's family. God has structured the church as the body of Christ for the purpose of our growth and learning. Despite the problems and faults you may find in your church, it is the place where the action is. The church is the place where we are to get and give support, where we are to learn to love and be loved, where we are to serve God by serving our brothers and sisters. It is in church that we are to be reassured that God is not missing after all.

L. Urbaniak

Martin Luther, in one of his conflicts with the devil, was asked by the archenemy if he felt his sins forgiven. “No,” said the Reformer, “I don’t feel that they are forgiven, but I know they are, because God says so in His Word.” Paul did not say, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will feel saved;” but, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.”

So on I go ~ not knowing,

I would not if I might;

I’d rather walk in the dark with God

Than go alone in the light;

I’d rather walk by faith with Him

Than go alone by sight.

Phillip P. Bliss