Do you ever wonder whether God cares about you? Do you ever question whether God hears your prayers? If so, you are not the only person to have had these questions. So often, when we are under tremendous stress, we can feel so very much alone. When we are feeling overwhelmed, it is hard to imagine that God is there, and that He is even interested in our struggles.

The challenge is that God does not communicate with us in the same way that we communicate with each other. We can’t sit down for a cup of coffee and a chat with God. We can’t make an appointment and stop by God’s office for advice.

However, simply because we can’t communicate with God like another human being, that doesn’t mean that we can’t be in relationship with Him. We simply have to understand that God works in our lives in ways that we cannot predict or always readily identify.

Below are some of the ways that God may be working in your life. Keep your antennae raised and on alert for the ways that He is trying to communicate His love to you.

Other People: One of the most important ways that God communicates with us is through other people. God uses people to promote His will on this earth. For instance, when I was a teenager, I went through a period during which I was incredibly overwhelmed. My parents were divorcing, my home life was highly dysfunctional, and I was too young to know how to manage the situation. I prayed regularly.  However I saw no end in sight to the stress I was enduring.

Fortunately, at just this time, I had a youth group leader who spent a lot of time with me. She was a wonderful, encouraging person, who was full of great advice. She cared about me at a time when the other adults in my life overlooked me. Now, over 30 years later, as an adult, I can see that God used her to care for me and to help me.

Whenever I look back on that time in my life, not only am I thankful to God for how good He was to me, but I also remember that God wants to use me too. God wants to use every one of us to help those who are struggling. We truly are God’s representatives on earth.  His work is our work.

Opportunities: I never turn down an opportunity, whether it be professional or otherwise. That is because I know that each time an opportunity is presented to me, it is God’s hand at work in my life.

Significantly, the professional opportunities that God has given me have not been very lucrative. But I’ve come to realize that God doesn’t want me designing the next iPhone or managing a multi-million-dollar company. He always has wanted me to work with people who are down-and-out or struggling in some way. So, throughout my life, He has presented me with work opportunities in fields where I am in some way serving others. He has directed my steps, and even though His path sometimes seemed nutty, I’ve always followed His lead.

I truly believe that God presents us with opportunities for a reason. He especially presents us with opportunities when we are struggling. Seize those gifts that He gives you. Know that regardless of what is happening in your life, He always is trying to help you achieve your purpose on this earth.

The Still Small Voice: In 1 Kings, God speaks to Elijah in what is referred to as “a still small voice.” (1 Kings 19:11-13) That description resonates because most of us have heard the still small voice. Most of us, at one time or another, have asked God a question, and we have heard a response. It may not have been audible to human ears.  However, it was heard clearly in our hearts.

I keep writing because of the still small voice. Whenever I take too many days off from writing, the still small voice nudges me and says, “Shouldn’t you be writing something to inspire others today?” And once I hear that voice, I know that I won’t be able to fully relax until I’ve written something that I hope will be useful to at least one person.

Moreover, the still small voice has spoken to me at times when I’ve felt most alone. That voice has said, “You can handle this. Just keep moving forward. Things will get better.” And each time, I’ve followed that voice. And yes, each time things did get better.

If there is anything that I can promise you, it is this: God loves you. Keep watch for the ways that He is working in your life. You are not alone. He truly cares for you.

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