“You’ll never know what faith is
Until you don’t understand.
Sometimes it takes the silence
To finally hear His plan”

If you have ever whispered the words “God, where are You?” at some point in your life, I want you to pay very close attention to this article. If you’ve had thoughts or said things similar to this, you are not alone. It is a testing and tricky position to be in, but take heart, even when you feel like God is 10,000,000 miles away, He has not left your side.

Now it is time to step on board the “By Faith” train and join the billions of others who have sat right where you are and said the same things you have. In fact, I will venture to say everyone who walks with God the way He asks has to board this train at some point or another.

Recently, I personally have struggled with this same idea and feeling of wondering where God is. I too have held the ticket, boarded the train, and quietly buckled my seat belt, headed to the corner of “no-man’s land” and “what in the world am I even doing?” It is one of the most difficult trains to board, but I assure you, it is headed somewhere better than you think.

I found myself in a place where trusting God made absolutely no sense. I thought perhaps, with all the people and all the problems in the world, He might have accidentally told me the wrong thing or set me on a shelf and forgot about me. With all the issues He has to deal with, maybe He just needed a vacation from me.

I was doing all I knew to do, but it felt like God was so far away He couldn’t even hear my shouts that had dwindled into tiny, faint whispers. I couldn’t understand why He was uprooting me; why He was taking away the things I loved most. It made no sense that He was bringing me to a place that seemed so isolated and uncharted, but still in the back of my mind, I knew He was up to something. Little did I know that was riding first class on board the “By Faith” Express.

There was no one seated next to me. I was all alone, except for Him. I was hungry, I was thirsty and, for all I knew, I was a million miles from home and lost in the wilderness. I was in the dining car, with only the conductor, and only a tiny bit of life left in me.

As crazy as it sounds, there are moments of God-called loneliness. Sometimes if we allow our lives to become too crowded with other things and other people, we neglect Him, whether we mean to or not. We should be putting Him first; the details will fall into place after that. He is a jealous God, and He recognizes when we put idols in front of Him. Because of this, He often moves us to a place where we are forced to lean on Him.

He longs to commune with us, but too often, we give Him our leftovers and conveniently fit Him into our day planner or pencil appointments with Him onto our calendars. How sad it is to think that the One who gave us life and gave us His life comes last on our list of priorities. Sometimes, He is quiet. Yet, even in these times, we must still have faith that He is up to something. Sometimes the greatest results come through quiet preparation.

In my Bible reading not long ago, I read over Hebrews chapter eleven—which is basically where the “By Faith” train first departed the station. It starts full steam with “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen.” I always like to put my own interpretation on it and also throw in “things not heard.” You may feel like your prayers have been hitting the ceiling and falling back to slap you in the face, but I assure you God is listening. That’s where faith comes into play. You have to have faith that He is still moving even if it is not evident to you at the moment. God’s timing is part of His plan. Just because you do not see Him moving or hear Him responding doesn’t mean He is not working. We cannot solely rely on feelings and tears to define our times with Him. Sometimes we talk too much; He wants to commune with us.

This chapter in Hebrews goes on to replay the lives of many men and women in the Bible and their journey on this same faith train.

“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God….”
“By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain….”
“By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death….”
“By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age….”
“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents….”

We also read in verse six, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.”

So, remember, even though you may think He isn’t listening or you’re doing it all wrong, don’t be discouraged. He does not always speak or respond the way we think He will. We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). On this road, you will have many ups and downs and journey on paths you never thought you would venture on, but if you ever hope to make it to the place God has for you, you will only get there “by faith.” Trust the conductor, He knows exactly where you are and what He is doing.

All aboard the “By Faith” train. No matter where you are seated, who you are with, or what leg of the journey you are on, this train—though we may not understand how it will get there—is bound for glory. Until then, have a little faith. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Some sweet day we will pull into the station. If we “finish the course and keep the faith,” it will be worth it all.

Rachel Thorne was born in Florida and has lived in many places throughout the United States. She is a graduate of Urshan College, formerly known as Gateway College of Evangelism. She wants to make a difference and change her world. Rachel is actively seeking the will of God for her life and is willing to do whatever He has for her.