There was a time when I was brand new in the faith and was “doing everything right.” I was saying my morning prayers, reading my morning devotions, in the Word daily, walking in prayer, keeping my mind and thoughts pure, etc., etc., etc. I was committed to my big “Christian To Do Checklist.” I thought that if I kept up with all these things, God would be close to me and I would be close to Him.
Despite all my efforts, the day came when I felt alone and distant from God. I started thinking that this “faith walk” was not real. So I asked God what was going on because I felt like He was not near. I had so many questions: Am I wasting my time? Is all of this effort worth it? Is God even real? Was my life just a result of positive thinking? My mind, body, and soul felt so alone and God felt so far away.
In my sermon a couple of weeks ago which was part of Bridgeway’s 2024 Summer Series on “The Model of the Lord’s Prayer,” I was privileged to speak on the words “who art in heaven” regarding “The Proximity of God.” Although we are taught that God is not a distant being whom we don’t have access to, the fact that we think of Him in heaven can create negative feelings about His proximity. Psalm 9:10 tells us to rest in God’s promise that “those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.”
Today I understand that when we are honestly seeking God, we can be sure He hasn’t disowned us. He has not left us alone to fend for ourselves. He knows every step his children take. He knows every tear His children cry. God says in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” In other words, if we belong to Him, we will never be truly alone. I always like to say, “I might be alone but I’m never lonely.” “I might feel lonely, but I am never alone.” Christ’s straightforward promise to us is that He will be with us and He will see us through every part of our lives until the very end of the world.
One of the things we need to look at is the way we view our intimacy with God because it’s not a proximity issue. He is always HERE!! The name Emmanuel (“God with us”) reveals it, so we know it’s not a proximity issue, but it is an intimacy issue. The feeling that God is not near can arise because I am not being intimate with God. I am not letting Him in – into my S.E.L.F.
- S.ituations
- E.motions
- L.ies
- F.ailures
(Note: I expand on this a little more in my sermon. See the link below!)
The enemy will use these four areas of our lives to have us believe that God is too far away and that He has no time for us. Therefore we don’t want to connect with Him and we avoid staying connected to the vine.
But God is not far. God is closer than near. He is HERE!!
When we truly acknowledge the intimate proximity of God, we find ourselves immersed in His presence.
Remember how I was feeling super alone? One day on one of my prayer walks – walks that I did not because I felt close to God but because I felt alone and not caring at all – the Holy Spirit dropped in and answered my questions. He said, “When you feel like I’m close because of all you are doing, that’s when I’m the farthest. And when you feel that I’m the farthest from you, that’s when I’m the closest.”
You see, He was letting me know that as I was performing this checklist, I was creating a self-reliant spirit within me. I was praying. I was reading. I, I ,I… I had a “works mindset” and it smelled like pride. Because I was checking off my list, I felt God should be close to me. I was doing all the right things, but when I missed my morning prayer or my morning devotion or my mind and thoughts were not pleasing to Him, I felt I was not good enough and God was not pleased with me. I just knew He would step away from me.
On that day, the Holy Spirit taught me two things about why I felt God was distant. First, I was feeling and this is not about feeling. “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7). Our eyes have a big influence on the way we feel. “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil” (Proverbs 3:7). God wants us to rely on facts – not feelings. The fact is He said He would never leave us. “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).
Second, God doesn’t expect perfection or care about works. All He wants is a willing heart, willing to be made willing! It takes willingness and effort on your part to seek God, but the Bible confirms that you will be greatly rewarded for that effort. Remember that you do not need a lengthy, eloquent prayer or spotless checklist to turn God’s gaze.
You already have his attention.
You are his child!
He will listen because He is not far.
He is always HERE!
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