When life feels uncertain, it’s easy to wonder where God is. Waiting, unanswered prayers, difficult circumstances, and seasons of feeling forgotten can make us question whether God is still with us. David experienced those same struggles, yet his story reminds us that God’s presence and promises remain true even when we cannot see what He is doing.

Faith doesn’t mean ignoring our doubts or pretending difficult seasons don’t hurt. Like David in Psalm 22, we can bring our questions, fears, and frustrations honestly to God while choosing to remember who He is. Even in the valleys, God has not abandoned us. When we cling to His promises and trust His faithfulness, our prayers can move from anguish toward praise as we remember that God is with us on both the good days and the hard ones.

Highlights:

• Why feeling forgotten by God doesn’t mean He has abandoned you
• What David’s uncertain journey teaches us about waiting on God
• How to bring doubts, questions, and frustrations honestly to the Lord
• Why difficult circumstances can test our faith without disproving God’s faithfulness
• How David moved from anguish and confusion toward praise in Psalm 22
• Remembering that God is present in both the mountains and valleys of life
• How Psalm 139 can reassure us of God’s constant presence

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Full Transcript Below:

Clinging to God When Life Feels Uncertain
By: Laura Bailey

Bible Reading:

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me,

so far from my cries of anguish? - Psalm 22:1 ( NIV) 

“Mom, why did God abandon David when he needed him most?” my youngest daughter asked before bedtime. Earlier in the day, we’d gone to see a movie about David’s life. My girls were familiar with the general story of  David as King, but the movie, which focused on David’s transition from shepherd to King of Israel, raised many questions.

I thought about my daughter’s question in more detail. Often, we think of (and teach our children) David as the slayer of Goliath, or as the mighty king. We linger on the fulfillment of God’s promises to David—protection, prosperity, and promotion to King.  And while it is important to draw our children’s focus to God keeping His promise, we also need to share the hard parts of David’s journey, the testing of his faith, and God’s faithfulness. For starters, the prophet Samuel anointed David as the future king when he was just a teenager, yet David didn’t take the throne until he was almost 30!  Historians estimate that David became king about 15-20 years after Samuel's pronouncement, when he eventually succeeded Saul. 

David’s life involved a lot of uncertainty and waiting on God. 

The scene that prompted my daughter’s question was inspired by Psalm 22. With words and phrases like “forsaken, cry out, far from saving, you do not answer,” it can be easy to think that God had indeed forgotten David, or at the very least wasn’t with him in the wilderness.  I shared with my daughter that just because David was going through a hard time didn’t mean that God had neglected him. God promised to make David king, and He would [eventually]  fulfill that promise.
“Let’s look at the closing verses of Psalm 22,” I said to my daughter, grabbing my Bible. Psalms 22:22-23 says, “I will declare your name to my people;  in the assembly I will praise you.

You who fear the Lord, praise him!  All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!” We can openly bring our doubts, questions, concerns, and grievances to the Lord, yet we shouldn’t leave them there. Our petitions should ultimately lead us to praise, as we see in David’s prayer.

The first few verses of Psalm 22 are filled with angst, confusion, and general frustration over his current circumstances. But through his prayer, David turns his problems into praise. How can one give gratitude to God in the most dire of situations? Because he remembers who God is— most importantly, he rests confidently in the assurance that God will keep His promise to deliver David and ultimately His people.

While God had something good planned for David’s life, that didn’t mean his life would be easy or without hardship.  The majority of the Psalms were written while David was fleeing from Saul, and a few when his own son was trying to kill him! While David felt like God had abandoned him, the truth was that God was always with him. “And God is always with you, too,” I shared with my little girl. “On the good days and the bad days, He is there.”

I easily forget that the God of the mountains is the God of the valley, and no matter my circumstances, He hears my cries. Just as with David, there will be times when I feel alone, but God never forsakes His children. He is always working for my good and His glory.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

If you currently feel forgotten by God, read Psalm 139:7-12 and write down what it says about God’s presence. 

Further Reading:
1 Samuel 16
Psalm 22