"God is distant"
I can't admit this to many people, but I feel very far away from God these days. I've noticed this for the past few months. It's almost like I'm in a wilderness of some kind, alone. I've had a lot of setbacks lately, which have caused me to feel a little depressed. When I pray (and I've had a hard time praying recently), it feels as if God isn't listening. I can't sense his presence in my life at all anymore.
At church, it feels as if I'm just going through the motions. When I was asked to pray at the missions council meeting, I wanted to say no. But I prayed anyway. I felt as if I was just mouthing the words-not really feeling or believing them.
I feel abandoned by God. I thought he promised never to leave or forsake me. But that's how I feel now-forsaken.
One of our pastors said that if you're not hearing from God, then maybe you have unconfessed sin in your life. I was so angry when I heard that. Why is God's silence all my fault?! I'm not use to this. It's not like I'm a new Christian. I've been a believer for over 25 years.
Just a few month ago, I was on top of the world. Many of my prayers were answered with a resounding yes. I felt so close to the Lord. Now I wonder what went wrong.
-Charity
Can you relate to Charity's story? Elijah could. He went through a time when God seems distant.
What's ironic is that Elijah's time of struggle came right after his (literal) mountaintop experience, a tremendous show of God's power that enabled Elijah to single-handedly defeat the 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (see 1 Kings 18). After that awesome display, the wicked Queen Jezebel threatened to kill Elijah by the next day. In the wake of Elijah's unshakable confidence on Mount Carmel, the fear and depression he felt right after that seem shocking. But Elijah knew all too well that Jezebel wasn't one to make idle threats. So the exhausted prophet ran for his life.
{1 Kings 19:1-2}
1 When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal.
2 So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”
A lull after a spiritual high is often the time when the enemy moved in for an attack.
In a dark night of the soul, like depression, the believer's focus can turn from praise to thoughts of Where is God?
Does God seem distant to you? Every relationship experiences an ebb and flow of feelings.
A relationship with God is no exception. What can you do during those times?
• Keep spending time with God, even when you don't feel like it
In a marriage, the partners may not always feel close, but they keep making time for each other for the sake of their marriage. Your relationship with God is like a marriage. Spending time with him/her is necessary for the health of your relationship and your spiritual health. Jesus used the illustration of staying attached to the vine. Eventually the feelings will return.
{John 15:4}
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
• When God seems silent, you have to trust him.
Sometimes God seems silent in order to stretch your faith in him. Are you willing to trust and wait on his answers, even when his time frame may be much different than yours?
• Examine your heart.
Sometimes (not always) it's hidden sin that has come between you and God. If God seems far away, examine your heart. Do you have any hidden or unconfessed sin that might be blocking your relationship with God?
(Isaiah 59:1-2}
1 Listen! The lord’s arm is not too weak to save you,
nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call.
2 It’s your sins that have cut you off from God.
Because of your sins, he has turned away
and will not listen anymore.
• Believe that Gos has not moved.
God is where he said he'd be-with you. Meditate on verses that assure you of this truth.
{Hebrews 13:5-6}
5 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,
“I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.”
6 So we can say with confidence,
“The lord is my helper,
so I will have no fear.
What can mere people do to me?”
• Talk with other believers.
You aren't the only one who has been in a wilderness. Talk with other believers. Let their experiences encourage you during this time.
{Psalm 43:5}
Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and my God!
{Psalm 145:13-20}
13 For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.
You rule throughout all generations.
The lord always keeps his promises;
he is gracious in all he does.
14 The lord helps the fallen
and lifts those bent beneath their loads.
15 The eyes of all look to you in hope;
you give them their food as they need it.
16 When you open your hand,
you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
17 The lord is righteous in everything he does;
he is filled with kindness.
18 The lord is close to all who call on him,
yes, to all who call on him in truth.
19 He grants the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
20 The lord protects all those who love him,
but he destroys the wicked.
{Jeremiah 23:23-24}
23 Am I a God who is only close at hand?” says the Lord.
“No, I am far away at the same time.
24 Can anyone hide from me in a secret place?
Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?”
says the Lord.
{Romans 8:38-39}
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I can't admit this to many people, but I feel very far away from God these days. I've noticed this for the past few months. It's almost like I'm in a wilderness of some kind, alone. I've had a lot of setbacks lately, which have caused me to feel a little depressed. When I pray (and I've had a hard time praying recently), it feels as if God isn't listening. I can't sense his presence in my life at all anymore.
At church, it feels as if I'm just going through the motions. When I was asked to pray at the missions council meeting, I wanted to say no. But I prayed anyway. I felt as if I was just mouthing the words-not really feeling or believing them.
I feel abandoned by God. I thought he promised never to leave or forsake me. But that's how I feel now-forsaken.
One of our pastors said that if you're not hearing from God, then maybe you have unconfessed sin in your life. I was so angry when I heard that. Why is God's silence all my fault?! I'm not use to this. It's not like I'm a new Christian. I've been a believer for over 25 years.
Just a few month ago, I was on top of the world. Many of my prayers were answered with a resounding yes. I felt so close to the Lord. Now I wonder what went wrong.
-Charity
Can you relate to Charity's story? Elijah could. He went through a time when God seems distant.
What's ironic is that Elijah's time of struggle came right after his (literal) mountaintop experience, a tremendous show of God's power that enabled Elijah to single-handedly defeat the 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (see 1 Kings 18). After that awesome display, the wicked Queen Jezebel threatened to kill Elijah by the next day. In the wake of Elijah's unshakable confidence on Mount Carmel, the fear and depression he felt right after that seem shocking. But Elijah knew all too well that Jezebel wasn't one to make idle threats. So the exhausted prophet ran for his life.
{1 Kings 19:1-2}
1 When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal.
2 So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”
A lull after a spiritual high is often the time when the enemy moved in for an attack.
In a dark night of the soul, like depression, the believer's focus can turn from praise to thoughts of Where is God?
Does God seem distant to you? Every relationship experiences an ebb and flow of feelings.
A relationship with God is no exception. What can you do during those times?
• Keep spending time with God, even when you don't feel like it
In a marriage, the partners may not always feel close, but they keep making time for each other for the sake of their marriage. Your relationship with God is like a marriage. Spending time with him/her is necessary for the health of your relationship and your spiritual health. Jesus used the illustration of staying attached to the vine. Eventually the feelings will return.
{John 15:4}
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
• When God seems silent, you have to trust him.
Sometimes God seems silent in order to stretch your faith in him. Are you willing to trust and wait on his answers, even when his time frame may be much different than yours?
• Examine your heart.
Sometimes (not always) it's hidden sin that has come between you and God. If God seems far away, examine your heart. Do you have any hidden or unconfessed sin that might be blocking your relationship with God?
(Isaiah 59:1-2}
1 Listen! The lord’s arm is not too weak to save you,
nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call.
2 It’s your sins that have cut you off from God.
Because of your sins, he has turned away
and will not listen anymore.
• Believe that Gos has not moved.
God is where he said he'd be-with you. Meditate on verses that assure you of this truth.
{Hebrews 13:5-6}
5 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,
“I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.”
6 So we can say with confidence,
“The lord is my helper,
so I will have no fear.
What can mere people do to me?”
• Talk with other believers.
You aren't the only one who has been in a wilderness. Talk with other believers. Let their experiences encourage you during this time.
{Psalm 43:5}
Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and my God!
{Psalm 145:13-20}
13 For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.
You rule throughout all generations.
The lord always keeps his promises;
he is gracious in all he does.
14 The lord helps the fallen
and lifts those bent beneath their loads.
15 The eyes of all look to you in hope;
you give them their food as they need it.
16 When you open your hand,
you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
17 The lord is righteous in everything he does;
he is filled with kindness.
18 The lord is close to all who call on him,
yes, to all who call on him in truth.
19 He grants the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
20 The lord protects all those who love him,
but he destroys the wicked.
{Jeremiah 23:23-24}
23 Am I a God who is only close at hand?” says the Lord.
“No, I am far away at the same time.
24 Can anyone hide from me in a secret place?
Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?”
says the Lord.
{Romans 8:38-39}
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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