Where's God?

They did not drive the Canaanites out of Gezer, however, so the people of Gezer live as slaves among the people of Ephraim to this day. (Joshua 16:10 NLT)

I've found myself asking people this question a lot more and more lately.  They're struggling with an issue or problem in their lives and they are trying to decide what to do about it.  It seemed like a natural question to ask, since the mission of our church (and my personal mission) is to empower one more to walk together with God.  You can't walk with God if you don't know where He's walking.  So, I ask the question.

"Where's God in all this?"

"I don't know" is the most common answer I receive.  They tell me about their times in prayer but no clear answer comes back.  They struggle over the "silence" they seem to be receiving.  Is God giving them the brush-off?  On the contrary.  He just hasn't changed course.

When we're working with our children, sometimes the only thing we have to go off of is our latest command to "train them up in the discipline and instruction of the LORD" and "do not exasperate" them in the process.  When it comes to our parents, we know we are to "honor our Mother and Father in the LORD."  I'm reminded to "rejoice in" and "remain loyal to" the wife of my youth.  The mission is the same.  The rest is just details.

The Israelites started to lose sight of God's last set of orders for them.  They were supposed to wipe out all the people in the promised land because they were wicked and would cause the Israelite nation to start following other gods.  This would mean great trouble for them down the road.  At first they did well.  Then they "did not" drive the people out.  Finally, they believed a lie.  They "could not" drive them out.

But the descendants of Manasseh were unable to occupy these towns. They could not drive out the Canaanites who continued to live there. (Joshua 17:12 NLT)

This is the beginning of the end for Israel.  It starts small.  It will take awhile before they see the negative results.  But they will come.  They stopped following God's last set of commands.  His prophecy about the results will happen...and it won't be pretty.

Do you know where God is?