The Lord asks us, "Do you truly believe I see exactly what you are enduring right now?"

Perhaps as you read this message, you are going through something that calls for him to act on your behalf. The very nature of your problem demands an answer.

Do you believe God gladly monitors your every move, the way a father does with his infant child? Do you believe he is at work as your loving, caring Father — bottling every tear, hearing every sigh, hovering over you?

Scripture says of Moses' time: "Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing; their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell. . . . [They] delighted themselves in Your great goodness" (Nehemiah 9:21, 25).

Do you delight in the Lord's goodness to you? Perhaps you are more likely to whisper within your heart, "God hasn't been good to me. So many things in my life have been left hanging. My prayers aren't being answered."

Any believer who wishes to please God with his prayer life must first settle this question: "Does God have all I need or do I need to go elsewhere for my answer?"

This appears to be a simple question — perhaps one that doesn't even need to be asked. Most Christians would answer, "Yes, of course I believe God has all I need." But in reality many of us are not convinced! We say we believe it but then a crisis hits and God doesn't seem to answer. Often at such times we don't truly believe he has what we need.

As we wait in faith for him to act, we are to trust that he hears the cry of our heart: "My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord . . . that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful" (James 5:10-11). God is greatly moved by our tears and our groaning. He hears our weeping.

Jesus has given us an ironclad promise for these last days.

Troubling circumstances and fiery conditions can bring on confusion. At such times, our impatience begins to reason: "God must not have meant what he said to me. Or maybe the problem is my inability to hear his voice. Perhaps I heard him wrong in the first place. All I know is that what he told me and what I see developing don't add up."

I have never felt more helpless and anxious than when we moved back to New York City to start Times Square Church. Once again we were subject to the mercy of the schedules of landlords and building superintendents. When I had to wait, I became quite impatient and cried, "Lord, there's so much to be done in New York and so little time. How long do we have to wait?"

Yet time after time God patiently answered me, "David, do you trust me? Then wait."

Saul gave God a deadline! He didn't declare it, but in his heart Saul decided that if a word from above didn't come by a certain time, he would do whatever was needed to save the situation.

"And [Saul] waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. So Saul said, ‘Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me. And he offered the burnt offering" (1 Samuel 13:8-9).

Paul kept his faith through good times and bad.

In his final days Paul could boast, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). Think about Paul's testimony at that point. He could say, "Satan sent messengers to fight me in Jerusalem, Damascus, Asia, Ephesus, Antioch, and Corinth. But I kept the faith.

"He tried to sink me in the storm-tossed Mediterranean. Three times I was shipwrecked, bobbing in the deep, night and day. But I kept the faith.

Your ongoing trial may involve physical suffering, unemployment, children who rebel, faithless friends, mental distress, turmoil or pain. As you endure day after day, Satan will whisper to you as he did to Job: "The righteous don't suffer. If God heard you — if he saved you and his promises are true — you should have been rescued immediately. Where is your God? Is this what faith gets you?"

Some of you reading this message are in the storm of your life.

Jesus' disciples endured pounding waves in a storm-tossed boat while their Master lay fast asleep. Finally, as the storm threatened to overwhelm the boat, they cried out to Jesus, accusing him of not caring about their fate. "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" (Mark 4:38). Jesus calmed the storm but was incredulous at his disciples' lack of faith. He asked, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" (4:40).