Episode #197: What to Do When It Feels Like God Has Forgotten You – What’s Going On?!

Hey friends, it's Jen and welcome to this episode of Good God Talks as we're talking with God about waiting seasons. Now, I don't know anyone who's like, oh yay, I want to wait some more when they're asking God for good things or for answered prayers or they're seeking direction or provision.

No one is like, “oh my goodness, my favorite part of life is waiting.” But it's still a really common part of life. And I feel like it's a fairly common part of faith too—that's often talked about when we talk about waiting for the Lord and how he renews our strength or finding purpose in the waiting. And those are all good things. But that's not the emphasis of this episode today.

We're in a series called What's Going On? And we're talking with God about when things in life feel hectic or crazy, or out of control. And the heart behind this episode isn't so much, God, what's going on in the waiting? Like what's going on out there? Why is this taking so long? Although those are valid questions.

But it's really inviting God into what's going on inside us—in our hearts, in our minds, in our emotions, in our longings for the things that we're waiting for.

I'm going to share for us from the story of Hannah, which is in 1 Samuel 1.

So Elkanah is married to Hannah and another wife, Peninnah. And Peninnah has children, but Hannah doesn't. And scripture tells us it's because the Lord closed Hannah's womb. But Elkanah liked Hannah better than his other wife, and he treated her really kindly. And so Peninnah lashed out. She would provoke Hannah to irritate her because Hannah didn't have any children.

And we're actually picking up this story when Elkanah's family is going to the temple to provide a tithe. And it talks about how they eat before the Lord—which reminds me of what we talked about in the last episode here about how God instructed the Israelites to bring an annual tithe and eat it before him. So check out that if you haven't heard that episode—but we're picking up Hannah's story here in verse seven.

“So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her.” (1 Samuel 1:7a)

So the family is in the temple and they've just worshiped and Elkanah has brought the sacrifices and Hannah is distraught in her heart. And in verse 10, it says

“She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said, ‘O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.’ As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard.” (1 Samuel 1:10-12a)

Eli thinks that she's drunk and he's like, hey, stop getting drunk. But in verse 15 it says,

“But Hannah answered, ‘No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.‘” (1 Samuel 1:15)

And the Bible goes on to say that in the passing of time, God remembered her and she conceived a child Samuel, and she brought him to the temple as she had promised God.

The use of the word “remember” here can be confusing to us who are reading the Bible in English. We can hear Hannah asking God, Hey, remember me, don't forget me. And we can read that God remembered her in the passing of time and gave her a son.

That doesn't indicate that God forgot.

God doesn't forget us. It's not like an out of sight, out of mind thing for the Lord.

That phrasing that God remembered her is a literary device that we see throughout Scripture that shows a shift in the story when God acts. We kind of hit a pivotal moment when we need God to act, when the people are dependent on him, and it says God remembered it shows a shift in the story when God acts on his promises.

But as I'm reflecting on this in my own seasons of waiting—and I've had some really hard, difficult seasons of waiting—it can feel like God forgets us.

We can feel grievously provoked by other people in our life. By our circumstances. By our enemy, who wants to taunt us with what we don't have.

We can feel irritated or forgotten. And we can be genuinely troubled in spirit.

And so my encouragement for you is to take a minute to notice what's going on in your own heart. Are you troubled in spirit? And to take a cue from what Hannah did and to pour out your soul before the Lord, whether that's out loud or quietly in your heart.

Your needs can prompt intimacy with God, not pull you away from it.

Speak your heart needs to God.

Tell him what you need. Tell him what is grievous. If you're feeling provoked, tell him about it. And in that process, Trust that he remembers you.

I think even part of bringing our heart needs to God in that way is our own habit of remembering him. Of acknowledging God. I know that you remember me. I'm choosing to remember you, to remember who you are, to remember your promises, to remember your love and your care for me.

And so our closing question today isn't to move past the pain into action because I think a lot of us can kind of rush ahead and want to do that. Don't let your heart longings prevent you from drawing near to the Lord. Let them be used as a motivator to draw close. And here's our question,

God, how can I share more of my heart longings with you?

Have a good talk.

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