When God Feels Distant

When God Feels Distant

When God feels distantAre you feeling right now that God is way too silent or, at least, the connection is static at its best? Don’t worry. Help is near. God is near. Even when God feels distant.

As Frederich Buechner has said “There is no event so commonplace but that God is present within it, always hiddenly, always leaving you room to recognize Him or not recognize Him, but all the more fascinatingly because of that, all the more compellingly and hauntingly.”

There sure are different seasons in life. Sometimes God seems to be silent. Sometimes the connection feels static. But God is in control. Not you. That means that your hope is not in you, either. Your hope is in God.
And that frees you to live fully. Even when God feels distant.

Charles Swindoll points out “God may be invisible, but He’s in touch. You may not be able to see Him, but He is in control. And that includes you–your circumstances. That includes what you’ve just lost. That includes what you’ve just gained. That includes all of life–past, present, future.”

The best way to connect with God is prayer. Keep on praying even when God seems to be silent. God wants to live in you, to be your everyday companion. Keep on praying and know that God is right there with you no matter how you feel. No matter how static the connection seems to be. God is there. Full of compassion, full of love, full of grace. Even when God feels distant.

With the words of Steve Harper “Anything that is of concern to you is fair grounds for prayer. The power and beauty of prayer will come shining through in the specificity of your praying. God will cease to be “out there” or “up there” and will come to reside in your everyday life. God will not be Creator only but will become Companion.”

Life is life. We are called to live our lives with Jesus. There is nothing better than that. We are called to breath in God’s grace and breath out all the negativity of the world. We are called to live out our faith in our messy lives. That’s why there are some static connections once in awhile. But God is near. And he does care.
Even when God feels distant.

Like Henri J.M. Nouwen has said “The mystery of life is that the Lord of life cannot be known except in and through the act of living. Without the concrete and specific involvements of daily life we cannot come to know the loving presence of Him who holds us in the palm of His hand. . . Therefore, we are called each day to present to our Lord the whole of our lives.”

When we do present the whole of our lives to our Lord, we are blessed. God is delighted to answer our prayers. God’s blessings are not earthly things but divine gifts that nourishes our souls. God knows what you need even when you don’t know it yourself.

Charles Spurgeon assures “The Lord is glad to open the gate to every knocking soul. It opens very freely; its hinges are not rusted, no bolts secure it. Have faith and enter at this moment through holy courage. If you knock with a heavy heart, you shall yet sing with joy of spirit. Never be discouraged!”

Rest in God, my friend. Rest in God. Don’t over-analyze your connection. Don’t worry about why God seems silent or when God feels distant. Rest in God instead. Place your hope in God, not in you or in your feelings or what is happening around you. Rest in God, there is nothing more amazing, wonderful and trust-worthy in the whole wide world.

Thank God! He deserves your thanks.
    His love never quits.
Thank the God of all gods,
    His love never quits.
Thank the Lord of all lords.
    His love never quits.
(Psalm 136:1-3, MSG)

Rest in God because he is good.
Rest in God because he loves you.
Rest in God because his love endures forever!

 

Gracious God,
Thank you for your steadfast love!
Thank you for always being there for us.
Be praised forever and ever!
Give us your grace to always place our hope in you.
Help us to toss away anything than hinders our trust in you.
Bless us as you seem fit and needed.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: How do you deal with static connection/the silence of God? What do you do when God feels distant?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, on your faith journey. Don’t be discouraged! Be bold & place your trust in God!

Photo courtesy of Robin Ogilvie, design by Mari-Anna Stålnacke. Some parts of this post have been previously published. Linking up today with Sharing His Beauty, Small Wonders, and #InspireMeMonday.

12 thoughts on “When God Feels Distant

  1. amen, sis! prayer’s where all starts in our relationship, to get going/moving w/GOD<333 not wasting the time, pushing past what tries to hinder/disregarding negative feeling, lack of motivation, we fight all, & just be w/HIM…His Grace takes us Over in the continuum…Only SPIRIT enables us to experience Father's Goodness that He Has in Store for ALL of His sweet blessed children~Just BeaUtiFuL, This FULLNESS OF SWEET GRACE~& how sweet r my sister's feet, dutiFUL, DiLeGent daughter of GOD's WonderFUL GRACE~i give thanks to JESUS for u, Always!!! sis,Crystalxox

  2. “Don’t overanalyze your connection.” Lots of good advice here, Mari-Anna. Sometimes I can be too analytical, when God just wants me to trust that he’s here, regardless of whether I feel him or not. Thanks!

    1. We’d like to understand everything but that’s not how faith works. Faith requires only trust. But that surrender is difficult when we don’t understand. We certainly need God’s help in this too. Thanks so much, Lisa. Blessings upon blessings!

  3. Wonderful post and you included a quote from a favorite author, Chuck Swindoll 🙂 It is so very true, even when we cannot see God at work, He is always at work. Wonderfu and comfortingl reminder!

  4. wonderful quotes reminding us to rest in God, remembering God is always there..I love Buechner and Nouwen, my favorites! Love the reminder how prayer is a beautiful way to reach out to God, to open our hearts to His grace! Visiting today from #smallwonder!

  5. He seemed far away sometimes…. Looking back…. He was way out on the edge of my broken life, healing broken bits I thought were gone.

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