Many times, the world feels that God is distant from us. David prayed in Psalm 28: 1, to you, Lord, I call; you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit. He does not appear nor show his presence to us as he did to the people of old. His presence, either in signs and his angels, appears remote. David said to God in Psalm 35: 22 Lord, you have seen this, do not be silent. Do not be far from me, Lord.
David also cried in Psalm 83: 1, O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear, do not stand aloof, O God. Even when we believe we have done everything right, God sometimes seems distant. Psalm 109: 1 says, my God, whom I praise, do not be remain silent. When it is obvious that evil is triumphing over good, God appears distant from us. Habakkuk 1: 13 says, why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? Jesus faced such a situation when he cried out in Matthew 27: 46; Mark 15: 34, “Eli, Eli, lema sabacthani? (which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)
Is God truly distant from us?
In spite of David’s complaint, he sincerely acknowledged God’s faithfulness in Psalm 50: 3, our God comes and will not be silent. Also, Jesus’ last prayer on the cross to God was in Luke 23: 46, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” God’s apparent silence or distance is also as good as his voice. Romans 8: 28 says, and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. What accounts for the apparent silence?
When we lack devotion to God’s word
We do not devote ourselves, nor our time to read and study God’s word as those of old did. We also do not attend to it with any deserving seriousness. We devote very little or no time at all or odd or irregular time for God’s word. However, the word is God himself. John 1: 1 says, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Lack of devotion to the Word is lack of devotion to God. Lack of devotion curtails the relationship, obstructs divine vision, and jams the communication frequency. It is written in Psalm 1: 1-2, blessed is the one… who meditates on his (God) law day and night.
God’s word keeps us away from sin. Psalm 119: 11 says I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. This means when God is in our hearts, his presence alone will police us from going wrong. Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus in 1Timothy 4: 13, until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Personal bibles were not common at the time, hence the request for public reading aside the common sharing of scripture to edify the church. God desires that we see him through devotion in his word. How important is God’s word for our relationship with him?
When we are not disciplined in righteousness
Without righteousness, we cannot see God. Our world these days is full of sin and decadence and moral decay. Wrong is right, and right is wrong. 1Chronicles 22: 19 says, now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God. We no longer seek God with our hearts as those of old did. We cannot praise God with the lips and yet desecrate the body. 1Corinthians 3: 16 says, don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? God will only appear to a worthy body.
The bible says in Titus 3: 14, our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives. Jesus said in Matthew 3: 8, produce fruit in keeping with repentance. Productive life means bearing fruit of life. Jesus said in Matthew 7: 18-19; Luke 6: 43, a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. In our anxiety because of God’s apparent distance from us, we should remain resolute. Psalm 4: 4 says, tremble and do not sin.
When we abuse divine relationship
We misunderstand what relationship with God means. Relationships with Jesus are not cosmetic or casual. It is not attending church, participating in Christian activities or professing Christianity. 2 Corinthians 5: 15 says, he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. It is living for Christ Jesus rather than ourselves in appreciation of his death for us. It is built, harnessed and respected with zeal and commitment.
How sure are we about our relationship with Jesus? Paul wrote in Romans 14: 7-8, none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Sometimes, God’s response to us could be grounded on the type of relationship we have with the Lord. 1Thessalonians 5: 10 says, he died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. We often disappoint God by our deeds and the more we do so, the farther we drift away from his presence and favour.
When we tangle God’s quality time
We compete God’s time with other attractions such as social media, businesses, or other relationships. God allowed social media to complement our ease of existence, not to replace him or compete with his attention or time. 2Corinthians 11: 14 says, no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Social media become disguised stumbling blocks to our spiritual growth when they take God’s time away from him.
We must examine our choices, where, how and on what we spend our time. Isaiah 9: 16 says, those who guide these people mislead them, and those who are guided are led astray. We are addicted to social media as our closest friend and affecting our quality time with the Lord. Proverbs 12: 26 says, the righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. Discipline is the key as said in Proverbs 5: 23, for lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly.
Reflection
Some debased lifestyles prevent us from clearly hearing from God. Scripture says in 1Thessalonians 5: 2; 2Peter 3: 10, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. God hears those who are vigilant in his service with delight. May the apparent silence of Jesus cause us to walk closer with him in righteousness. May the Holy Spirit lead us to feel Jesus’ presence with us in whatever we do.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, by your Holy Spirit, be close to us. Answer us when we pray. Let us find you when we diligently seek you. Therefore, wash our sins away in your precious blood. We pray in your blessed Holy name, Amen!!
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