Patience When God Seems Far Away

Chuckle: There are many places I have never been, however, I have been in Sane. They don't have an airport; you have to be driven there. I have made several trips there, thanks to my friends, family and work."

Quote: "Though God takes the sun out of heaven, yet we must have patience." --George Herbert

"I can never escape from your spirit! I can never get away from your presence!" (Psalm 139:7 NLT). Jesus said, "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor (Holy Spirit), who will never leave you . . . he lives with you now and later will be in you" (John 14:16, 18 NLT).

Our passages state an iron-clad take to the bank truth -- as Christians, God's Spirit is always with us and we can't get away from His presence. This is an amazing and reassuring truth for all believers. But if this truth is enduring, why do we sometimes feel like God is a million miles away? Good question. When things aren't going the way we want, we may feel God has abandoned us, is far away and is no longer acting in our best interest.

We need patience during those times when we don't hear anything or feel anything from God. In Job's case, all the things that were happening to him just didn't make sense. But they made perfect sense to God who was testing Job. Times like these come for all of us, and when they do, it may be that God is testing our faith. When we are willing to persevere with patience during such difficult times, then God will do a mighty work in our lives as He did in Job's.

If you believe you can never escape God's presence and you believe the promise, "never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5 NIV), then God is never far away, but may be withholding evidence of His presence to accomplish His purpose in your life. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28 NIV). As He did for Job, God will bring good to you as He acts according to His will.

So, if you find yourself feeling like God is far away, draw near to Him by focusing your attention on Him in prayer, Bible study, and sincere worship. Then He promises to draw near to you (James 4:8). If you feel that God is far away, that's all it is -- a feeling. We must be patient and trust God's promises even if our feelings tell us something else.

Another thought: I was a pilot in the Army and learned early on that I could not trust my feelings when flying in the clouds with no visual reference to the ground. I had to trust the truth that the instruments were telling me about the airspeed, altitude and attitude of the aircraft. Trusting my feelings could lead to disaster, but trusting the instruments always brought me to a safe landing at my destination. God will do that for you if you trust Him completely in all situations, including His promise to be with you always, rather than trusting your unreliable feeling that He is far away

Love, Jerry & Dotse.