Discerning God's Presence When Life Seems Unclear

There are days and seasons when answers don't come as quickly as we would like - moments of doubt, discouragement and fatigue. But in those moments, God is very much with us - though not always in the way we expect. Here is a personal example of how God reveals Himself when life seems unclear.

I'm feeling down today. I have lots of questions running through my mind that I can't find any answers to. It's Sunday afternoon and I am pacing around my flat, alone. As I feel a sadness rising within me, I feel God's invitation : “Come outside with me.”

Why not. I've got nothing else to do anyway. So I grab my phone and keys and set off along the green paths in my neighborhood.

It feels good to move. The weather is nice, and the crunch of my shoes on the gravel blends in with the distant hum of the city.

As I walk, I tell God everything I'm feeling. I also do some emotion management exercises — I am a coach, after all! In short, I do what I know how to do. But to be frank... I'm fed up and tired. I say to God, “Listen, I've done everything I can today. I'm just going to keep walking. If you want to tell me something, go ahead, but I'm not trying anything else.”

I continue on my way, and just as I am about to turn onto a dirt path, the word “pneumatic” pops into my head. At first, I ignore it, but it keeps coming back.

A thought surfaces from the back of my mind: what if it's God talking to me? My brain starts searching: pneumatic, pneuma... Pneuma. Doesn't that mean “breath” in Greek?

My internal search engine stalls. Great. I don't understand what this means.

My emotions take over again. Not only do I feel sad and alone, but I also don't understand what God is trying to tell me! I sink a little deeper into my emotions. If only I had a remote control to click on “next chapter” to avoid this uncomfortable moment...

WHEN GOD SHOWS UP IN UNEXPECTED WAYS

Then suddenly, something jolts me out of my emotional spiral. Not a noise or a loud bang. No miraculous sign in the sky, no audible voice speaking to me.

But my eyes simply fall on a tree whose silvery foliage, under the effect of a light breeze, undulates elegantly, emitting a sparkling rustle that is both joyful and soothing.

Shelah.

A moment of pure happiness.

I stop and let myself soak up this experience for a moment. My body and soul calm down momentarily in front of this beautiful, fleeting spectacle.

As I set off again, I laugh to myself, thinking that God won't even let me get depressed. Because this isn't just any rustling sound, no. It's my favorite rustling sound, that of a silver tree that I've admired for a long time.

At that moment, Jesus speaks to me. He says, “Do you remember the time, Mareike, when all that spoke to you (about me) was the wind in the trees?”

Oh yes. I remember it very well.

I have had times in my life, when I couldn't really hear God's voice, when He seemed distant, even absent. In those difficult moments, the only thing that spoke to me about God was the rustling of the leaves in the trees. I would often be telling God about my doubts, and sometimes my pain, and just then, a gust of wind would rustle the leaves of a tree in front of me. A sign of his presence, that he was there, even though I couldn't hear or see him.

Pneuma. A breath that I can feel on my face - this invisible thing whose effects I can see.

That's it. The puzzle finally makes sense.

DISCERNING AND HONOURING GOD'S PRESENCE

This little interlude got me thinking. I have been walking with God for over 30 years, and during that time, I have experienced all kinds of seasons. Ups and downs and in-betweens, questions, doubts, victories... and mysteries.

Through these different seasons, God has spoken to me in many different ways. Sometimes I expected to hear God in a certain way and was disappointed when He didn't speak as I had hoped. At times, I felt like my prayers weren't going higher than the ceiling, and I felt abandoned. I would react with anger, bitterness, or discouragement.

To this day, I don't have all the answers to all my “whys.” But looking back, I can see how God's love and presence were there all along.

And in times when God wasn't speaking to me as I would have liked, He spoke to me... in other ways.

Through nature.

Through circumstances.

Through conversations.

Through the Bible.

Through a good meal that someone had cooked for me.

Through a new piece of clothing.

Through music.

And so on.

Looking back, these memories are like pearls that, strung together, form a necklace full of beauty and richness. With each new season, I experience a new facet of God, of His voice, of who He is. As time goes by, our relationship grows richer, more trusting, and more mature.

So, as I think about all this, I wonder... what if it were a privilege to hear God in many different ways? What if it's because of His great goodness that God speaks to us differently from season to season? Instead of complaining or worrying because I don't hear God as I would like to at the moment... what if I paused for a moment to discern the soft whisper of what He is doing in my life?

I know very well the frustration of not hearing God. I have often felt that He was not there.

But looking back, I also know that life is made up of seasons. I can guarantee you that God is doing something in your life. The question is: What is He doing? How is He speaking to you?

If you want even more of His presence, if you want to hear His voice more, tell Him so, again and again! These are exactly the kinds of prayers God loves to answer.

Indeed, when speaking of the goodness of God the Father, Jesus makes this promise to us: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened" (Matthew 7:7-8).

But sometimes the answer doesn't come right away. Or it comes in a different way than we expected. In those times, how can we discern God's presence in our lives?

DISCERNING WHAT GOD IS DOING IN OUR LIFES

As daily life settles into its steady rhythm at the beginning of fall, I invite all of us to notice what God is doing in our lives. And when we perceive it, to pause for a moment and honour what we see and feel.

God walks with each of us in a unique way, but certain things can help us recognise His presence in our lives. Here are some questions that can help you perceive Him:

1) What are the little moments of peace that punctuate your daily life?

Even when we are rushing around, God meets us in moments of peace, sometimes brief, but very real. These are little reminders of who He is, the Prince of Peace.

2) What things bring you joy in your daily life right now?

God is a good Father who gives good gifts to His children. The psalmist says, “There is abundant joy in Your presence...” (Psalm 16:11). Joy is one of the markers of God's presence! Every thing that brings you joy, no matter how small or large, is a testimony of his affection for you and a reminder that he is there.

3) What are the little invitations God is extending to you in your daily life?

That podcast you can't get out of your head... What if you listened to at least the first 5 minutes to see where it leads?

That person who comes back into your thoughts every day... Why not contact them?

That Bible verse you can't get out of your head... Why not read it to see what God wants to say to you?

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God is SO PRESENT in our daily lives. In certain seasons of our lives, we will notice Him a lot, and in others a little less. Sometimes He speaks to us like the sound of a trumpet, clear and precise; and sometimes it will be more subtle, like the soft rustling of a tree.

Whatever form it takes, I invite us all to honor these moments of love and connection that God weaves throughout our daily lives.

For I say it again and again: He is truly there.