John Ortberg has written a wonderful book entitled, "God is closer than think." In it he talks about the fact that when God seems absent, He is there - all the time.
The Psalmist writes, "I cry to you for help, O Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you. Why, O Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me?"
C.S. Lewis wrote after the death of his wife, "Where is God?....Go to Him when your need is desperate, when all other help is vain, and what do you find? A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside. After that, silence."
We all have times when it seems like we can't find God. That God isn't answering when we knock at heaven's door.
"Why do you reject me? Why do you hide your face?
That's why I like Psalms 13. Years ago, Psalms 13 ministered to me when I was walking through a time when it seemed like God wasn't present. As you read it, notice the way David is honest with God, and then his conclusion.
1. How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2. How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3. Look on me and answer, O Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
4. my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5. But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6. I will sing to the Lord,
for he has been good to me.
David feels like God is distant - but what is his conclusion? I am going to continue to trust in your unfailing love and rejoice in you!
David is feeling, "I don't like everything that is going on, but I know that I have no where else to go but to you!"
And as we pray, the Holy Spirit helps us experience another side to our struggle. It's not all pain, trauma, or weeping. After a few moments in conversation with God, our perspective beings to change. God's love doesn't fail after all.
In our anexious moments, let's keep on trusting. As we do, we will see that God has not abandoned us nor will our problmes win the battle over us. Our "How longs," can be swallowed up in hallelujahs.
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As I was reading this, I thought about the Barlow Girl song, "Never Alone," which runs this same pattern. The song details calling out to God and getting no answer, seeking Him but not finding His presence, but ultimately trusting in the fact that God is always with us. Even when we can't hear Him or see Him, He is with us and watches over us.
I thought for a long time that I was away from God, that He wasn't watching me or didn't care about what I was doing. Yes, I was very young and very dumb! When my awakening came, I looked back over my life and saw the places where God had placed His hand over me in protection, where He had moved His hand to shift me to a safer destination in my life and work. I could see His hand in the fact that in a room full of people, I was the only one not wounded in a gunfire accident! I could see His love in giving us a special child to raise and learn from...and also in blessing us with two miracle children of our own to help us move on when the first had to go Home. I could see His hand and His writing in each facet of my life...and I realized that even when I turned my face from Him, He never turned His face from me. How much does God love me? More than I'll ever be able to say or repay!
How much does God love you? Just as much as He does me! You say that God can't love you because you've done some bad things...God will never love you more than He does right now...He'll never love you less either, no matter what you do. God only wants your salvation and for you to spend eternity with Him. He wants to be in a relationship with you, a daily walk toward Heaven.
If you're weary and tired of what's going on in your life, give God a try. Actually, even if you're not weary and tired, give God a try. You'll never know the peace and joy and love and (oh, I could go on forever) all that you will experience with the Creator of all things. Not that all times will be great (well, maybe they will if you are so blessed to that) but you will have a family to lean on, a God who is in control and in whom you can leave your problems, and the King of Kings in your corner and on your side. If God is for you, no one can stand against you. God created the universe, don't you think that He has the ability to create a new life, a better life, in and for you? Please ask Him today.
May God bless you and keep you.
Jon
Gods’ attributes are spelled out in his word. God holds His word above His name. That says a lot. He says His word is the same as yesterday, today and forever. I really don’t think that most people understand that.
God is always where he should be. So the question, when we don’t feel Gods presents, are we where we should be? As Christians, the fullness of the Godhead is to abide in us. Whether you feel them or not that is a stated truth. We are the temples of the Holy Spirit. Again, that’s a stated truth.
The Lord says, my people perish, because of lack of knowledge. What kind of knowledge is He referring to? There’s a lot of very intelligent people in the Body of Christ, that have degrees in theology, but their perishing. You preached on Jesus being a Rabbi, and only the best of the best became Rabbis, and that’s true.
Look at all the Sages and Rabbis in Jesus day. They knew the Torah. They knew the Mishna and the Talmud. But, they didn’t know Jesus and they didn’t know the Father. Jesus said that if they had known the Father, that they would have recognized who he was. To know Jesus is to know His word. Jesus is referred to as the word. We are to follow the teachings of Jesus and we are to walk in the light of Gods word.
David knew God. David wanted quick answers and responses and actions from God, just like we do today. God is not in a hurry. He has everything under control. He never sleeps or slumbers. He always on time, whether we think He is or not.
There’s a lot of scriptural affirmations that I could put in here right now, but I think it would be best for those reading this to reaffirm in their own hearts and minds, what they believe to be attributes of God in their lives. What I will tell you is, He is closer to you than a brother, He’s as close to you as your breath on a cold day. Now that’s close. Draw close to God and He will draw close to you. You have to take the first step.
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