Devotionals

When God Seems Far Away

by Mary Thomas
04/28/20
Not For Sale
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Do you sometimes feel like God is not there?

You are praying to a brick wall? You know by faith that He is there because His word says, ‘Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.’ But you choose to believe by faith because it is not your experience, you just don’t feel Him near you.

I was thinking that one day, as I attempted to pray to the brick wall, believing by faith that God could hear me but not knowing His Presence.

As always God could hear my thoughts, knew my words before they came from my mouth. I told him I couldn’t feel His presence, and hadn’t done for many weeks.
As sat there I was tempted to just get on with my day, giving up seemed easier than sitting in silence.

Then I felt Him respond to my moaning…. I didn’t feel His presence, but I knew He was talking to me, encouraging me to listen.

‘I am always with You,’ I felt Him say,’ but sometimes you are too busy to notice my Presence. I am in the touch of the sun upon your face. I am in the wind blowing your hair, I am in your friend's smile, their kindness to you. I am in the birdsong, the flowers, the first sense of spring in the air. I love to show you My creation, the rainbows, the sunsets, the sunrise. The movement of wind in the trees, there I am. Listen, watch, experience My touch in all these things, they are signs of My Presence, all around you every day. They are signs of My love for You, My eye is always upon you looking for ways to bless you, ways to show you My love.’

As I sat there, I realised that I know God’s presence, it’s not always a feeling, but He is all around, I just get too distracted, and caught up with worldly ways.

Today I will go out expecting to see Him, feel Him, experience His closeness all around.

Why don’t you try to see Him in unexpected ways? Maybe take a walk and feel the wind upon your face, that shaft of sunlight through the trees, that’s Him. That bird singing as you pass. That may be Him. Look around at the wonderful creation He made just for your pleasure. Let Him warm your heart with all the wonders of His world. You may not ‘feel’ anything, but whoever said faith was about ‘feeling’.

Knowing, really knowing God is deeper, much deeper than that. 

‘Lord, help us to know, really know You, even when we don’t feel You, You are always present, all around us. Help us to see You in the normal everyday things of life, and to keep talking to You, because You hear every heart cry.’