When God Seems Far Away

Sometimes even mature Christians who have followed the Lord for many years go through times when God seems very far away. In the main there are three possible reasons for this.

First, the problem can stem from a purely physical cause. What happens to us physically can have a great effect upon us spiritually. Sickness, viral infections, stress, overwork (or other pysical condtions) can affect our moods to such a degree that we think we are spiritually low when th real problem lies in a poor physical condition. This is why before God began to work on Elijah's depressed spirit He made sure that he had a period of rest and recuperation (see 1 King 19).

Second, God might seem far away because a sin has been committed and repentance has not been made. God has so built our spritiual system that when we sin, guilt descends. This kind of guilt (as opposed to the false guilt which can arise in our personalities) is God's way of getting our attention. In this situation repentance is the only way back. Repentance, remember, means more than just being sorry; it means being sorry enough to quit. When repentance has taken effect we can be sure that our relationship with God will be restored.

The third reason - and by far the most common one - for feeling that God is far away is because we fail to take the time to maintain our relationship with Him. If we don't take the time to talk to God regularly in prayer and listen to Him through reading His Word, then ought it to surprise us hat the relationship between us and Him begins to deteriorate? As someone put it: "If God seems far away - guess who moved?" God never moves away from us - it's we who move away from Him.

Prayer : My Father and my God, thank You for reminding me that my relationship with You must not be taken for granted, but consantly maintained. And if repentance is what is needed, help me to take that step - and without delay. In Jesus' Name. Amen!