Relationship with God

Do you ever feel distant from God? Do you get discouraged because you don’t feel His presence or hear His voice? I believe we all go through times like these, and today I want to encourage you for when you do struggle with these things!

There’s a sentence in the Bible that says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” (From James 4:8) And guess what. It works! To put it bluntly, the truth is, it’s going to be your own fault if you’re never hearing from God or seeing prayers answered. If you’re not actively seeking Him and His will, if you’re not praying with sincerity or digging into the pages of the Bible, you aren’t going to feel close to the Father. Relationships take effort on BOTH sides. If you don’t take the initiative to reach out to a friend and hang out or chat with them or act interested in their life, the relationship won’t last long, or at least be very strong or intimate. If you’re not reaching out to God and talking to Him or spending time with Him, He’s not going to be as evident of a presence in your life.

Perhaps this discourages you because you do pray with faith and study the Word, and you’re still not finding answers or feeling filled up spiritually. Well, in another part of the Bible, Jesus tells us to “Ask, seek, and knock.” (“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7) So to those of you who have been trying but are feeling doubtful and discouraged: Keep seeking Him! Don’t give up! He may seem quiet for a season, but He IS there. He is faithful. He does still love you. But if you’re not faithful to Him, the outcome is going to look different for you than if you had stayed faithful to Him. In my experience, there are times when I don’t feel that I’m being spoken to by the Lord, even though I pray and read in the Bible every day, but when I stick with it and keep at it, I eventually do hear from Him again and I do see prayers answered. Also, the things I read in the Bible might not speak to me in the moment when I’m reading them, but sometimes I’m reminded of them later when I need it, or the knowledge I’ve been constantly putting into my mind even though I don’t get much out of it in the moment ends up being a big blessing later on. God’s word is living and active! (See Hebrews 4:12) God’s word won’t return empty. (See Isaiah 55:10-11) It’s never a waste to read the book God has given to us. No matter how we feel, God is still using what we read.

And, yes, we humans and our feelings… Ugh… God is not a feeling. Yes, sometimes we can feel His presence, but don’t get it in your head that He’s just a feeling! No, our human hearts are deceitful. We have a lot of ugly, negative feelings come and go. We cannot trust our own hearts and feelings. God created us with feelings, but they’re not there to guide us. When we act on feelings alone, we get into bigger messes and go down not-so-great paths, huh? Even when they’re good feelings! They so often lead us into sin if we let them. (That’s why we must control our emotions and not let them get the better of us!) So remember, God is not a feeling. He’s there even when you don’t feel Him.

Along with that, I believe that followers of the Lord go through spiritual highs and lows. There are definitely times in my life I feel closer to God than others, even if my routines or habits of spending time with or seeking Him haven’t really changed. This is why never giving up is important! If we quit seeking Him in the “lows,” we won’t have those “highs” anymore. So if you’re in a “dry” season right now, don’t be discouraged, and know that God will come through! He said “blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6) That’s a promise! But did you catch that part where is up to US to have the promise fulfilled? WE must hunger and thirst for it! And God always keeps His promises.

If there is anything between you and God, if you’re living in sin and haven’t truly surrendered your life to Him, you won’t be able to lean on the promises He made to His people. He never breaks His promises, but the ones He’s given to His children aren’t the same as the ones allotted to the unbelievers. “The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.” (Proverbs 15:29) Once you accept Him as your personal Savior and choose to follow Him, though, you can have the assurance that His promises to His children will most definitely apply to you! You can’t pick and choose what to believe or follow from the Bible and expect to have a real, fulfilling relationship with the Lord. You’re either saved or you’re not. It’s not even about whether or not you simply “believe in God;” even the demons believe! (See James 2:19) You shouldn’t be surprised if you don’t hear God’s voice or feel His presence if you are choosing to turn a blind eye to the truths of His Word; if you’re not living a set-apart life from the world; if you aren’t born again. So I encourage you right now to make things right with the Lord, no matter where you’re at spiritually. If you want spiritual peace, direction in your life, and life everlasting, believe in the Lord and repent of your sins and follow Him! It’s the best decision you could ever make, and it’s as simple as that.

Now is as good of a time as ever to get into the pages of the book God gave us. The more you read it, the more you’ll understand it, and I’ve found that the more I read and understand it, the more I love it! (Even some of the more “boring” parts; the genealogy of Jesus at the beginning of Matthew, for example, amazes and intrigues me because of who is in it because I know their stories!)

Well, that’s all for now. I hope this was an encouragement for you today, wherever you are at with your Creator. He loves you so much. If you would like prayer or have any questions about any of my thoughts today, feel free to leave a comment or email me at [email protected]. Have a blessed day!