When God Seems Distant~
Hebrews 13:5 says, “I will not leave you nor forsake you.” God promises to never abandon nor forget you. Even when circumstances tell you otherwise, remember what God has promised you. Gods’ presence does not depend on whether you feel He is near or far. Believe He is near because He says He is.
One of the deepest levels of worship is staying in touch with God when you don’t hear His voice, feel His presence or even believe He cares. Despite intense loneliness, inevitable pain or unexpected trials, God is there. He is with you now while you are trying to adjust from a recent divorce. He is with you and wants to comfort you in the sudden loss of your child. He is with you while you are experiencing unbearable stress from a recent job loss and He is with you when He is silent. Your relationship with the Lord is deeply tested as if with fire when you feel distant from God. Whether it be from an unconfessed sin in your life that is hindering your growth with the Lord, a testing period you can’t explain or maybe your focus has shifted from God’s will to your own. Whatever the reason, God is still near.
David in the Bible had a very close relationship with God. So close, God knew David to be a man after God’s own heart. Yet David felt an agonizing separation from God at various times in His life. David cried out to God in Psalm 43:2-3 the Lord told David, “When you pass through the waters I am with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you; for I am the Lord your God.” There are times in our lives God hides His face from us. He does not take His spirit from us therefore is with us always, but sometimes He becomes silent for a time. Isaiah 45:15 says, “Truly You are God, who hides Yourself.” Isaiah knew of this hiding and still worshiped God. We would be wise to do the same.
When we feel we have done all we can to keep the communication open with God yet hear Him not, continue to listen. Don’t harden your heart, doubt God is near or turn away from seeking Him. He is near, but this is a time of testing and growth. It is in these times that true worship is attained. Job felt God had left him but quickly came to his senses even in his trial of all trials. He realized God was still with Him, whether He felt it or not. God does not want us to rely on feelings or an experience in order to believe He is near. He wants us to believe because He said so. Our friendship with God should be based on loving Him, having faith in Him and trusting He is not only Who He says He is, but that He will do what He says He will do. Sin may hinder our prayers, but it never separates us from God any longer since Jesus came and paid the price for our sins on the cross. Jesus made a way, a bridge, for us to have total communion with God at all times. God no longer sees us as wretched, sinful and rebellious. If we have accepted Jesus’ gift of salvation and believe God to be who He truly is, we are made right with God and all our sins are as far as the east is from the west according to God. Rick Warren reminds us, “God’s omnipresence and the manifestation of His presence are two different things. One is fact; the other is often a feeling. God is always present, even when you are unaware of Him, and His presence is too profound to be measured by mere emotion.” When our eyes are filled with tears, we must focus intently on Jesus and worship Him. God wants to hear the cries of our hearts. In I Peter 5:7, God says to “cast our cares upon Him because He cares for us”. When we are in despair, we need to trust Jesus. Crying out when God seems distant is desired by God and the best way for us to handle this despair. Job told God when he was angry and no longer wished he’d been born. David was completely spent knowing God so well yet experiencing God’s silence. Completely transparency and honesty before God actually comes from a heart deeply in love with the Creator of the world. It is our unshakable faith in Him that allows us to rely upon Him when He seems nowhere to be found.
In the dark moments of our lives, we need to remember what God told us in the light. God’s word never changes, and neither does He. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. When you life is falling apart, go to the feet of the only One in this world that can comfort you, heal you, love you and restore you unconditionally. God can make a way where there seems none. He can encourage you like no other; give you hope when you feel lost and defeated, and wants you to succeed. Hang onto the words God speaks to you when He is not silent. Remind yourself of what God told you previously and stand on those promises, they will come to pass. Trust Him to bring about the necessary changes that will bring you closer to Him. Your relationship with Him is vital and your willingness to stay by His side when you feel He is left you will take your relationship with Him to levels you never thought possible, He will not always be silent, just for a time, hang in there. Continue to trust no matter what. Job trusted even when He felt God might be killing Him, Job 13:15.
Remember what God has already done for you. Look back at the monuments God gave you. God loved you, saved you, redeemed you, cleansed you, believes in you, heals you, restores you, carries you, listens to you, has great plans for you and is preparing a place for you. Even if He did nothing but send His Son to die for you, this is reason enough to worship Him always. Jesus was ridiculed, falsely blamed, beaten, scorned and abused yet He did nothing but come to earth to unconditionally love us and make a way for us to be reconciled back to God Himself. Who else do you know anywhere that has loved you, cared for you, believed in you, taken a punishment for you and actually died for you?
Jesus chose to experience God’s momentary absence, so we would never have to. He could have saved Himself and gotten off that cross, but all of mankind would never have had a relationship with God again. Jesus gave up everything so we could have it all. This is reason enough to continually worship Him, don’t you think?
Stay connected to God when He seems disconnected with you. Remember it is at this time you are being strengthened and taught to endure. Don’t allow these times to break you, but to build you up in your faith in a most loving God. When the test is through, you will have passed with flying colors and your relationship with God almighty will have grown more than you could ever have imagined. We were never promised happiness all the time while on this earth, just that God would never leave us or forsake us. He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear, be shaken beyond repair nor will He turn His back and leave you in utter despair for long. Keep worshiping, keep listening, keep your head up, for the Lord your God is more than able to raise you up once more stronger, closer to Him and with a faith that just can’t be shaken. Hang in there, God is near.
