When God Seems Far Away
"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." -Hebrews 13:5
Have you ever felt far away from God? I have. I'm sure every Christian, no matter their circumstances has felt far from God at one time or another. But, why do we feel this way? Do we have to feel this way? Surely God doesn't want us to feel or be far away from Him!
God, as a loving Father and shepherd, always wants us to live under the shadow of His wing, in His arms, all the time. He doesn't want His sheep, His children to be far from Him. In the Garden of Eden in the book of Genesis, everything was perfect. Adam and Eve lived in perfect harmony with God in the Garden. But, once they sinned, their sin separated them from God's presence. (Genesis 3)
How can we resolve this dilemma? Because of the sin of the world, we may feel far away from God, even if we're not in direct rebellion. Desert times will come where we may feel abandoned. But it's during these times when we learn to trust Him in spite of our feelings that we can reap the greatest reward. Still other times, we may venture off to places He never intended for us to go. We need to be humble enough to come back into His arms, and realize that it's never too late to return to Him - much like the prodigal son who squandered his inheritance but returned home to his father who welcomed him with tears of joy and open arms. (Matthew 21:28-32)
"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'" -Hebrews 13:5
When Jesus came, He was the atonement for our sins. He is the intermediary. He is the way to the Holy Spirit, to God's presence. Whenever we feel far away, we can pray and ask God to embrace us again. We can worship Him, even if we don't feel like it. The Bible says God is a "present-help" in times of trouble. (Psalm 46:1) We need to confess these promises over our lives, and go where he is leading us.
Does God feel far away? Ask Him to reveal His purposes for you during this season. He is still with you. "...and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." -Matthew 28:19-20
Related resource: Intimacy with God: Cultivating a Life of Deep Friendship Through Obedience by Randy Clark
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