Your anger lasts a little while, but your kindness lasts for a lifetime. At night we may cry, but when morning comes we will celebrate. Psalm 30:5 (CEV)

There is a common misconception that if you are living under the will of God you will always feel his presence and power in your life. The reality however, is that sometimes, even if we are working hard for the kingdom, we struggle to find ‘God’ in our lives.

When God seems silent, our natural assumption is that he is angry at us; that we have done something that has separated us from full fellowship with the Father. Some of the greatest spiritual leaders of our time have endured the ‘silence of God’. David asks God why he has forsaken him in several of his writings. Even Jesus Christ asked, “Why have you forsaken me?” as he died on the cross.

Mother Teresa endured several periods of spiritual drought in her life as she ministered to the needy in India. She writes, “If there be God — please forgive me — When I try to raise my thoughts to Heaven — there is such convicting emptiness that those very thoughts return like sharp knives & hurt my very soul. — I am told God loves me — and yet the reality of darkness & coldness & emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul. Did I make a mistake in surrendering blindly to the Call of the Sacred Heart”

So how do we handle those times when God seems angry with us? How do we cope with the silence during those times when it seems our prayers barely make it past our lips; when the words from the Bible seem empty and we struggle to find our faith?

There are no easy answers. We can ask God to examine us, to spend a time of serious self-reflection in which we open the floodgates of our soul to him and implore his Spirit to enlighten us. But there are times when even this seems futile. That’s when the promise of Psalm 30:5 may give us comfort.

The Father’s anger lasts for a moment. He is a patient daddy. He doesn’t blow his lid at the smallest infraction, doesn’t lash out unexpectedly and wound our soul. He’s a patient teacher, a friend, a confidant. But there are times when he must rein us in; when he steps back to discipline, to correct, to catch our attention.

But when God’s anger seems directed towards us we can know his anger lasts for short time. When the dawn begins to lighten the eastern horizon we know the darkness of our night is over. The fears, the anxiety, the worry will soon be over. All that was shadows in the dark will be revealed.

In the same way, God will eventually reveal himself to us once more and we will rejoice in his presence. Have faith. Endure those silent times. Focus on the words of promise we have. He loves us with an everlasting love. His anger and silence doesn’t last forever.

PRAYER: Father God, there have been times when I’ve felt your anger and I confess it was my own doing. Selfishness, pride, lust and arrogance convinced me my way was better. There have been other times I’ve sought you and could not find you. I praise you for the promises of your word and that your silence and anger lasts only a short time. Amen.