When God Seems Far
Scripture Reading: Matthew 27:46, Job 23, and Psalm 22:19
“Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him; he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him” Job 23:8-9
When God Seems Far
Beloved, does God seem far from you today? Do you think God has forgotten about you? Today, be assured that you are ever in His thoughts. Be encouraged that He is ever present. From time to time in the Christian’s walk there is a season when you feel that God is far. But today, know that when God seems far, He is near. In Matthew 27:46 we hear our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ say, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” He Himself thought that God was far, but in actual fact God was nearer than He had ever been. God was processing Him for a purpose. God was doing a work to bring forth salvation for us. God was doing a work that would give the Lord Jesus a name that is above every other name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and today every tongue is confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord. However, at that time when He was on the cross, God seemed far. Now the Lord Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God the Father Almighty and He is ever interceding for us.
In Genesis 15:1, God tells Abraham he is to receive a great reward. Abraham complains that he is childless and says his servant is about to become his heir, but God assures him that the heir will come from his own bowels. At the time it seemed like God was far, but He was near. God was processing Abraham to become a patriarch. God was about to bring forth his son Isaac who would become the father of Jacob, who would become the father of nations. God was waiting for a set time to bring forth Abraham’s blessings. I want to assure you that God is nearer than you think. He showed up for Abraham. He showed up for Jesus. He will show up for you.
In Job 23:3 we hear Job saying, “Oh that I knew where I might find him!” God seemed far then, but God was processing him for greater glory. The latter days of Job became more blessed than his beginning. May your end be better than your beginning in Jesus’ name.
Let us look at Hannah, one of the women of the Bible. She was a priviledged woman who was married to a man from a wealthy family, who loved her greatly. However, Hannah was childless and was constantly being teased by the other wife, Peninnah. One day she went to the temple to pray, and even though God seemed far because she was childless, He was not far. He gave her Samuel. God will give you your Samuel.
All that God wanted from Hannah was a Samuel, a prophet for the nation. God had to process Hannah to the point that she could say, give me a son and I will give him back to you.
Thereafter, the Bible tells us that God remembered her; she brought forth Samuel and she gave him back to the Lord, and God gave her more sons.
Today, when God seems far, be assured that God is near; He is processing you for a purpose. He has said to you, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” Hebrews 13:5. Having loved His own, He loves us to the end. When God seems far, that is when He is near.
Prayer Points:
Lord, sometimes I feel like you have forsaken me. Sometimes I feel like I am so close to you but there is that pending prayer request, that unanswered prayer. Sometimes I am being teased by my enemies so much that I do not know what to say, but God I am going to trust you anyway. I am going to accept by faith that when you seem far, you are near. I know that when you seem far it is because you are working out a glory in my life that will upgrade me from my present situation. Lord, give me the grace to go through this process. Like David cried in Psalm 22:19-21, “But be thou not far from me, O Lord; O my strength, haste thee to help me, deliver my soul from the sword… Save me from the lion’s mouth for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorn.” Lord God I know that thou who are ever present will save me in the name of Jesus.
Father God, give us the grace to draw near to you so you will draw near to us
