“God hasn’t stepped away from you. He’s closer than you realize, and present in ways that are deeper than your circumstances. God is working in your life, even now, in ways that you may not fully understand yet.”
—Don Wood
When life feels uncertain and pressure keeps building, it’s natural to question where God is in the middle of it all.
In this deeply reflective episode, Don Wood speaks to men walking through intense seasons—whether in leadership, health, or personal life—and shares how faith becomes an anchor when answers aren’t clear.
Through real experiences and biblical insight, this conversation reveals how adversity exposes what we rely on most. It also shows how God remains near, even in moments that feel overwhelming, and how those seasons can lead to stronger character, sharper clarity, and deeper spiritual growth.
Episode Highlights:
- A clear perspective on God’s presence during hardship
- How to view challenges through a faith-driven leadership lens
- Practical ways to build trust in God when outcomes are uncertain
- The role of adversity in shaping identity and purpose
- Growing spiritually in seasons that feel heavy and unclear
Rooted in powerful scripture, this episode reminds us that God is close to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18) and is actively working through every situation for good (Romans 8:28).
If you’re looking for clarity, strength, and peace in a difficult season, this conversation will help you refocus on what truly matters.
Episode Highlights:
02:34 God’s Presence in Crisis
04:44 Transformation in Crisis
06:15 Crisis as a Revealer of Trust
09:21 Questions for Crisis Management
Quotes:
03:35 “God is close when your heart is broken. This means his presence isn’t dependent on the removal of your crisis. His presence is revealed within it.” —Don Wood
05:51 “God starts to reveal meaning in places where you only saw disruption. He begins to reshape your perspective, not by changing your circumstances, but by changing how you see them. And that shift alone is where your strength begins to develop.” —Don Wood
07:15 “Trusting God when things are going well feels natural. But trusting him when you don’t understand what’s happening requires something deeper, and that’s surrender. It’s not a concept. It’s a daily decision.” —Don Wood
09:16 “God isn’t distant. He’s intentional. He’s working beneath the surface of your life to shape your character, refine your perspective, and strengthen your ability to lead both externally and internally, and this internal shift is what sustains you long after the crisis has passed.” — Don Wood
10:53 “Sometimes, what God provides isn’t clarity right away, but a sense of peace. And this is evidence of his presence.” —Don Wood
11:35 “God hasn’t stepped away from you. He’s closer than you realize, and present in ways that are deeper than your circumstances. God is working in your life, even now, in ways that you may not fully understand yet.” —Don Wood
Meet Your Host:
Don Wood is the founder of Men’s Leadership, God’s Way, where he coaches executives and leaders to achieve clarity, confidence, and peace without sacrificing their health, faith, or family. Drawing from his own journey through adversity—including overcoming addiction, serious health challenges, and personal loss—Don inspires others to lead with conviction and purpose. His faith-based approach emphasizes transformation, resilience, and the power of vulnerability, helping men discover their unique gifts and live out their calling. Don is dedicated to equipping leaders to experience true success by trusting in God’s wisdom and strength.
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Transcript:
Welcome to Men’s Leadership, God’s Way. I’m your host. Don Wood. This is the place where men learn to lead with faith, clarity and conviction. Together, we’ll explore real stories and biblical principles to help you be a model of integrity in your work, family and everyday life. Let’s get started.
Don Wood: Welcome back, my friend. Today, I want to step into a question that doesn’t come from theory or comfort. I want to talk about the moments when the ground beneath your life becomes unstable, clarity disappears. And when the strength you relied on for years doesn’t seem to handle what you’re facing, this question is simple, but it cuts deep. Where is God during my crisis?
If you’ve ever asked that question, you already know that it doesn’t come with a calm voice. It rises up from pressure confusion. And when your future feels uncertain, it shows up from unanswered prayers, outcomes that don’t align with your expectations, and silence that’s deafening.
There was a season in my life when everything shifted in a way I never could have predicted. My health began to fail. And what followed wasn’t just an isolated event, it was a series of things that seemed to stack on top of each other. There were surgeries, complications, uncertainty, and moments where the outcome wasn’t guaranteed. There were days when the future narrowed down to a single question of survival. And in those moments, I never asked God, where are you? When everything familiar is stripped away, you begin to realize how much of your faith is built around stability. We expect God to show up in ways that’s reassuring and aligned with our understanding of protection, provision and control. And when those things begin to shift, it can feel like God has stepped back in your life.
What I discovered through that season reinforced how I understand God’s presence. And the first thing I want you to know about His presence is this, God is absent in your crisis. He’s present in a way that requires a different kind of awareness. Most of us have been conditioned to recognize God through outcomes. When things work out, we say, there’s God. When things fall apart, we say, where’s God?
But Scripture tells a different story. In Psalm 34:18, it says the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Notice that it doesn’t say that God draws near when everything is resolved. It says he’s close when your heart is broken. This means his presence isn’t dependent on the removal of your crisis. His presence is revealed within it. This realization begins to shift everything for you. Because now, the question is no longer, why is this happening to me? It becomes, where is God within what I’m facing right now? And that’s a completely different approach for you.
During my own crisis, I noticed something that I would have missed if everything remained comfortable for me. There was a depth of awareness that started to emerge. Conversations became more meaningful. Moments were more vivid. Gratitude began to show up in places I would have overlooked before. Now, the crisis hasn’t disappeared. It was that my awareness of God within it became clearer. And this leads to the second truth I want you to hold on to. God won’t waste your crisis.
Now, let me be clear about what I mean. God isn’t the author of your chaos, but he’s never absent within it. What the enemy intends to use for your destruction, God will transform into something that strengthens you, and aligns you more closely with who you were created to be. In Romans 8:28, we’re told that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. Now, this verse is often quoted, but rarely understood in the middle of a crisis. Because when you’re in it, it doesn’t feel like anything is working. It can feel fragmented, unpredictable, and it’s like you’re trying to hold pieces together that don’t seem to fit. But over time, what begins to happen is God starts to reveal meaning in places where you only saw disruption. He begins to reshape your perspective, not by changing your circumstances, but by changing how you see them. And that shift alone is where your strength begins to develop.
The third truth about God’s presence that I want you to consider is this, the crisis exposes what you’ve been building your life on. The guys that I work with are strong and capable. They’re disciplined and committed. They know how to lead, provide, and remain steady under pressure. But crisis has a way of revealing whether that strength is rooted in control or trust. Because when control is removed, something deeper must take its place.
And during my own experience, I had to confront something I hadn’t seen before. I realized how much of my sense of stability was connected to my ability to manage outcomes. And when that was taken away, I had to learn how to trust God in a way that was no longer dependent on what I could influence. And believe me, this wasn’t an easy transition for me. Trusting God when things are going well feels natural. But trusting him when you don’t understand what’s happening requires something deeper, and that’s surrender. It’s not a concept. It’s a daily decision. What this means is you wake up, and you choose to believe that God is still good even when your circumstances don’t reflect what you expected. It means choosing to remain open to His presence even when all the answers aren’t immediate. It also means allowing him to shape you in ways that wouldn’t have been possible without the pressure you’re experiencing.
The fourth truth I want you to speak into your life today is God often does his best work in places you’d never choose. If given the option, none of us would select crisis as a pathway for growth. We would prefer progress that’s predictable. But here’s the reality, transformation rarely happens in comfortable times. It’s when something forces you to look deeper, to question what you’ve relied on, and to align with what truly matters in these moments. God isn’t distant. He’s intentional. He’s working beneath the surface of your life to shape your character, refine your perspective, and strengthen your ability to lead both externally and internally, and this internal shift is what sustains you long after the crisis has passed.
Now, let me bring something special and practical for you. If you’re in a crisis right now, I want to give you three questions to bring before Jesus. This isn’t a formula. It’s to engage with him in the middle of what you’re facing. And the first one is this, Jesus, where are you right now in this situation? Not where you think he should be, but where he is. Take a moment and listen to what he wants you to know. The second question is this, Jesus, what are you showing me that I wouldn’t see without this moment? This question opens the door to awareness, and this is where your transformation begins. And the third question is this, Jesus, what does trusting you look like for me today? Not when everything’s resolved, just today, because trust is built in the present moment. And as you sit with these questions, I want you to allow space for something deeper than just immediate answers. Because sometimes, what God provides isn’t clarity right away, but a sense of peace. And this is evidence of his presence.
Now let me close with this. A crisis doesn’t define you, but it will shape you. And the question isn’t whether you will go through difficult seasons. Every leader, every man who steps into responsibility will face moments that test what they believe and how they respond. The question is whether you will allow these moments to draw closer to God, or whether you will interpret them as a distance because God hasn’t stepped away from you. He’s closer than you realize, and present in ways that are deeper than your circumstances. God is working in your life, even now, in ways that you may not fully understand yet.
Let’s close in prayer, Father, I thank you for every man listening right now, especially those who find themselves in the middle of a crisis. You see what they’re facing, and you understand what they’re carrying in their hearts. I ask that you reveal your presence to them in a way that’s undeniable. Bring clarity where there’s confusion, peace, where there’s pressure and strength, where they feel worn down. Help them trust you. Not just in times when life is stable, but in the moments that require faith. Remind them that they’re not alone, and that you’re working in their lives right now. In Jesus name, amen.
My friend, if this message spoke to you, I encourage you to spend some time with these questions. Let this be more than something you just listen to. Make it something you engage with. And if you’re looking for resources that will help you lead from a place of clarity, strength and peace? Visit mensleadershipgodsway.com. And there, you’re going to find tools that are designed to support you in your journey. Until next time, stay grounded, present. And remember that even in your most difficult moments, God is closer than you think.
Thank you for spending time with me today on Men’s Leadership, God’s Way. I hope this episode gave you encouragement and practical tips you can use right away. And if you would, please take a quick moment to rate and review the show on Apple or Spotify, your support helps more men discover how to lead with awareness, courage and confidence. And if you’re ready to take the next step in your leadership journey, you can learn more about my coaching services and resources at mensleadershipgodsway.com. Until next time, let God’s wisdom be a guide in every decision you make in your life.