DAY 14
WHEN GOD SEEMS DISTANT
PART 2
In fact God admits that sometimes He hides his face from us to test us.
Of course God hadn't really left David and neither does He abandon us.
He said "I will never leave you or forsake you". But God has not promised
that we will always feel His Presence. There are times when He appears to
be MIA, missing in action in your life.
"You wake up one morning and all your spiritual feelings are gone. You pray,
but nothing happens. You rebuke the devil but it doesnt change anything.
You go through spiritual exercises ... you have your friends pray for you ....
you confess every sin you can imagine, then go around asking forgiveness of
everyone you know. You fast ........ still nothing. You begin to wonder how
long this spiritual gloom might last. Days? Months? Years? Will it ever
end? You feel your prayers bounce off the ceiling. You cry out, "What is
the matter with me?" The truth is there is nothing the matter with you. God
allows this as a time of testing and maturing. Every Christian goes through it
at least once, sometimes several times. It is very painful and disconcerting
but is vital to the development of your faith and trust. Job had faith "... when
he has tested me like gold in a fire He will pronounce me innocent". Job 23:
8-10 (NLT)
When God feels distant from you, you may feel He is angry with you or
disciplining you for some sin. In fact, sin does disconnect us from intimate
fellowship with God. We grieve Gods Spirit and quench our fellowship with
Him by disobdience, conflict with others, BUSYNESS, friendship with the
world and other sins. Psalm 51; Ephesians 4: 29-30; Thessalonians 5:19;
Jeremiah 2: 32; 1 Corinthians 8:12; James 4:4.
But often this feeling of abandonment by God is a test of faith. Will you
continue to love, trust, obey and worship Him even when you have no
sense of His Presence? The most common mistake Christians make today
in worship is seeking an EXPERIENCE of God. They look for a feeling and
if it happens, they conclude they have worshipped. Seeking a feeling instead
of seeking God, even a closeness with Christ, is not worship.
When you are a baby Christian God gives you a lot of confirming emotions
and even answers the most immature, self-centred prayers so you'll know
He exists. But as you grow in faith He will wean you of these dependencies.
God's omnipresence and the manifestation of His Presence are 2 different things.
One is a fact; the other is often a feeling. God is always present even when you
are unaware of Him, and His Presence is too profound to be measured by mere
emotion. He's more concerned that you trust Him rather than that you feel Him.
Faith, not feelings please God.
Tell God exactly how you feel. Pour out your heart to Him, share every emotion.
God can handle your doubt, fear, despair, anger, grief, confusion and questions.
Did you know that admitting your hopelessness to God can be a statement of
faith?
Focus on who God is - His unchanging nature. "Never doubt in the dark what
God told you in the light". V. Raymond Edman. When Job's life fell apart,
he still praised God for:
That he is good and loving. Job 10:12
That he is all-powerful. Job 42:2; 37:5, 23.
That He notices every detail of my life. Job 23:10; 31:4.
That He is in control. Job 34:13.
That He has a plan for my life. Job 23:14
That He will save me. Job 19:25.
Trust God to keep His promises. Trust Him that he is taking you to a deeper
level of maturity, and do not rely on your emotions. A friendship based on
emotion is shallow indeed.
So dont be troubled by trouble. Circumstances cannot change the character
of God. Job remained faithful whilst in the midst of pain: "God may kill
me but still I will trust Him" Job 13: 15 (CEV)
(God may put me in hell but still will I love Him - Mercy May).
(There are worse things in life than death; there is where you spend your
eternal life. Mercy May).
When you feel abandoned by God but continue to trust Him you worship Him
in the deepest way.
Remember what God has already done for you. If God never did anything
else for you, He would still deserve your continual praise for the sacrifice
of His Son. God's Son died for you. This is the greatest reason for worship.
Even before His crucifixion, the Son of God was stripped naked, beaten
until almost unrecognizable, whipped, scorned and mocked, crowned
with thorns and spat on contemptously. Then nearly unconscious from
blood loss, He was forced to carry a cumbersome cross through the
streets and up a hill, was nailed to it, and left to die the most painful,
slow, excruciating death. Whilst He took upon Himself the sin of Mankind,
His Father looked away from the ugly sight of sin, surely Jesus worst
moment of the entire Passion, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken
me?" NO ONE EVER WHO HAS LIVED SUFFERED MORE THAN JESUS
CHRIST. Jesus could have saved Himself but then He could not have
saved you. Why did God allow this? So you could be spared eternity in
hell and share His glory with Him in heaven. Jesus gave up everything so
you could have everything. He died so you could live forever. That alone
is worthy of your continual thanks and praise. Never again should you
wonder what you have to be thankful for.
I have a simple faith, almost child-like in my trust of God. I choose to go
on loving, trusting and serving The Lord as best I can. I can trust in
my eternal salvation, the blood of Jesus has wiped away my sins. I must
trust God, and not the devil's condemnations. Paul says live by the Spirit
not the Letter of the Law. We obey and do not break the Law because
we walk in the Spirit. "There is no condemnation for those in Christ".
God often removes our feelings so we wont depend on them. Stay
focussed by studying. It is appropriate to express anger to God when
you are honest with Him and say how you really feel.
God bless you all.
Mercy May xoxo
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