When Heaven is Silent: Trusting God when Life Hurts

I recently read this book by Ronald Dunn. One of the first remarks he makes is that our struggle is not with the Devil himself, but rather with God. He says that even Jacob struggled. We know we are wrestling, but with whom we can't be certain - God? Satan? Ourselves? The only choice Jacob had was to fight. His struggle was intense. The only way he could overcome the attack brought upon him was to fight back. He couldn't run, he couldn't escape. He was gridlocked into the Lord's grip. What was he to do but to fight? How often do we struggle to find an escape from our own tribulations? From our own shortcomings? God is trying hard to grasp us and gridlock us in, to reel us in to Him. But, we are stubborn - we persist on finding ways to escape His love. We attempt to find solutions on our own, to grasp reality with our own hands, not realizing that by doing so, we are faltering and succumbing to the same tendencies that bring us more despair. And, yet, despite our stubbornness, the Lord never ceases to struggle with us. He loves us so that He cannot bear to watch us struggling on our own. "We flee the presence of God, even while we serve Him. We speak to Him but avoid His eyes lest they penetrate our defenses and we are exposed. But God pursues and overtakes us; He arrests us only to bless us." I encourage you to think that the next time you find yourself in despair, in hardship, in the deepest pit of temptation, ask yourself this. Who are you struggling with? Is it yourself? Is it the devil or is it God Himself? If you relinquish all control and set your eyes on Him, you will find that your struggle, while still persisting, is no longer your own. That, He, the Lord Himself, desires to shoulder that burden FOR you. All you have to do is trust Him, allow Him to work in your life. And, even through unanswered prayers, you will receive the answers you have been seeking.