When God Seems Distant
“He is near.” I find myself saying this quite often lately. Whether it’s in the hallway, during class, or last night at my kitchen table as a candle flickered and its light danced on our faces. I say it to give comfort to others, but I also say it in an attempt to convince myself.
He is near. He is near because his Word assures us of this. He is Immanuel, which means God is with us. He came to earth as a humble baby, wrapped in rags. He was a suffering servant who endured a cup of suffering that wasn’t taken away, even when he pleaded for it to be. He walked through the valley of the shadow of his own death. He is near because he is God, who encompasses everything, creates, draws us to him, loves us, and guides us like a shepherd. He is near not because we sense his closeness, but because he says he is.
If God feels far away from you, take comfort in the following:
- His nearness is a fact, not a feeling
“The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.” (Psalm 34:15)
Often, when we’re in the same room with someone, even if we’re not physically touching, we can usually sense their presence. But there are times when we don’t feel that closeness. In my office, my chair faces away from the door, and my co – workers like to surprise me. Sometimes, I’m unaware that someone has been standing there for a while. I can’t feel their presence, but the fact that they’re standing right behind me remains unchanged.
When we feel distant from God, it’s crucial to remember that our feelings can be deceiving. Being separated from God is not a reality. God is omniscient (knowing everything), omnipotent (having all power), and omnipresent (present everywhere). This is the truth. Our feelings matter, but they matter most to God. And this is what we need to keep in mind when we feel distant from him. - We can trust his Word completely
“For the word of the LORD is true, and all his work is done in faithfulness.” (Psalm 33:4)
When we start to doubt our feelings, when it seems like God isn’t coming through for us, isn’t answering our prayers, or has turned away, the first thing we should do is confess these emotions to him. God isn’t caught off – guard by our doubts. He doesn’t need a backup plan. He isn’t trying to clean up the mess of our lives. He is God, and we know this because his Word tells us so. The words in that wonderful book, inspired by the Holy Spirit and written down for us, can be trusted. Dreams, emotions, prophetic messages, other people’s opinions, and our own feelings may let us down, but his Word never fails. - His Word always accomplishes its purpose
“So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)
God cannot be mocked. In fact, he won’t tolerate being mocked. And the same goes for his Word. This might seem harsh at first, but if we look at it more closely, we can see this promise as a source of comfort. It means that he is on our side, looking out for his children. It means that he is deeply involved in our concerns and feelings, especially those related to him. Why? Because he won’t be mocked. He won’t be left wondering what went wrong on the final day. This means we’re safe. Even if we don’t feel safe, if we’re his children, we are secure. He has everything under control.
Why? Because he is near.
