When God Seems Far Away

Sometimes girls ask me, "How do I grow in my relationship with God? How can I know Him better?" Sometimes they add: "I read my Bible and pray, but it doesn't seem to help. He seems far away."

If you can relate to this, you're not alone. And I think there is more than one answer to these questions. First of all, if you want to grow in your relationship with God and know Him better, reading the Bible and praying is a good place to start, but if you are already doing this and you still feel lost, God seems distant, or you're not sure what He is saying to you, you're probably closer to Him than you feel.

When it comes to "measuring" your relationship with God, feelings are not always an accurate scale. If you are reading your Bible, then God is speaking to you and you are listening. If you are talking to Him, asking for things, and trusting Him to help you, guide you, teach you, etc., you may not see any immediate results or have instant feelings, but His words are in your mind and in your heart, and that makes a difference. So be patient and wait for the promise Jesus gave when He said, "You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you…Those who remain in me and I in them will produce much fruit." (John 15:3-5)

Another thing to consider is God's timing is not usually our timing. We like immediate answers. We like instant change. We prefer to fix, solve, and do things ourselves, but God tells us to wait on Him. In Psalm 37:7, David penned these words: Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. And in Psalm 62:5, he says, Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.

When Jesus says to "remain" in Him, waiting is often involved. I must trust in His promises, believe He is with me, and rest in His love. This can be frustrating at times, but it can also be super-rewarding! I always grow closer to Jesus when I wait on Him, and I know Him better at the tail-end of my waiting. I see why I needed to wait, purposes He had in mind I never considered, and I experience His faithfulness. This helps my faith to grow, and it helps me to grow. I become more patient with life. I become more patient with others. I love more.

They say 'knowledge is power', and when it comes to knowing God more deeply, that is definitely true. He strengthens me. He gives me courage. He produces things in me I didn't think I was capable of. So when others say God seems distant even though they are seeking Him, I know God has them in an amazing place…a time of waiting. If you are there now, trust that He is with you. He has wonderful things to show you, teach you, and give you.

Just wait…and you will see :)


Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

What Christmas Means To Me

Christmas has always been a special time for me. In my family, giving gifts and opening presents on Christmas morning was our greatest tradition, along with getting the tree, hanging decorations, and setting up the Nativity Scene. Although we talked about Santa and his reindeer delivering packages on Christmas Eve, I always knew it was my parents who bought the gifts and that Jesus was the true reason for the season. Traditions, gifts, a family dinner: these were the things we did to celebrate. But the story of Jesus coming to earth as a baby, being born in a stable, and lying in a manger wasn't lost in the shuffle. We remembered, we sang carols, we participated in the church programs, and we gave gifts as a reminder of the Three Wisemen who brought gifts to the Baby Jesus.

I still do those things now that I'm older. I visit my family at Christmas, and we exchange gifts and have a Christmas Feast. I celebrate at home with my husband and children with the traditions we have kept over the years. It's still about giving gifts, decorating the house, putting up the tree, Santa and his reindeer, and the Baby Jesus born in Bethlehem. But that aspect has changed a bit for me. It's not just about Jesus being in the manger, but more about what He was doing there. Why He came and what that means for me today.

Jesus was God's gift of love to the world. He brought redemption, forgiveness, and peace. Jesus did a lot more than give us a reason to have a fun holiday. He gave us a reason to live. To love. To experience joy. To find meaning in times of sorrow. To have hope in a world filled with sin, lawlessness, heartbreak, and tragedy. I have a friend who is undergoing cancer treatment right now. She was diagnosed at the beginning of December, and at first I thought, 'What a horrible time of year to face such an illness.' But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it's actually the best time to face cancer if she has to. Christmas is all about hope. Hope for this life, and hope for the life to come. We are never alone. We are loved. God cares about our needs and desires and hopes for the future. Jesus is about all of that and more.

To me, Christmas is about life. My life today, tomorrow, and always. Similarly, it's about your life and where Jesus is leading you. What He is teaching you. What He can give you. The peace, the joy, the love He wants to fill your heart with, no matter the time of year or your circumstances. Just look to Jesus and remember, you are loved.

To us a child is born, to us a son is given…and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)


Photo Credit: "Gerard van Honthorst 001" by Gerard van Honthorst - The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. DVD-ROM, 2002. ISBN 3936122202. Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH.. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gerard_van_Honthorst_001.jpg#/media/File:Gerard_van_Honthorst_001.jpg

Are your prayers truthful?

The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. 

Psalm 145:18-19

Psalm 145 is a great psalm to read when discouragement, disappointment, anxiety, and other such feelings are overtaking my heart. Just reading the words can bring a lot of hope and comfort to my weary or anxious soul. I am in the habit of reading a psalm every day, and many of them are like that. But as I came to Psalm 145 this week, I decided to take more than a day before moving on to the next, and I'm not sure what day this is, but I know I've been hanging out for a while.

The above verses reflect the heart and soul of this psalm. It's all about crying out to God, and yet the majority of David's words cry out to God in praise, not despair. He calls God KING, GREAT, MIGHTY, GLORIOUS, MAJESTIC, WONDERFUL, POWERFUL, AWESOME, ABUNDANTLY GOOD, RIGHTEOUS, GRACIOUS, COMPASSIONATE, LOVING, and EVERLASTING. And then he goes on to say, He is NEAR to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.

I wondered about that word truth and how we call on God in truth. What does that mean? The word itself means "firmness, faithfulness, truth". It expresses the idea of something that is sure, stable, and ongoing. Something that doesn't change—like God, and the truths about Him that remain the same: His love, goodness, mercy, and might. These are the things we can count on as unwavering. Our circumstances change at the drop of a hat, and our emotions often go with them. But God is unchanging, and this is what David is focused on. This is where his praise stems from: God's faithfulness.

I know from personal experience that God feels much closer when I am trusting Him. I think David knew this also, and in times of confusion, despair, and fear, he knew the best thing to do was cry out to God. God would be faithful. He would save him. He would keep His promises. He would keep him from falling and lift him out of whatever had brought him down.

When we call on God in truth, we are trusting Him to provide what we need. And when we trust, God feels much closer to our hearts because we believe He's actually with us. And when we share our honest desires with God, we will never be disappointed. These desires should not be mere whims or thoughts of fancy but the deepest cry of our hearts.

I encourage you to call on God today in truth. To be truthful with Him about what you need and what you may need to confess, including any thoughts of doubt you may have about God's love for you and His ability to meet your need (and the needs of others you are praying for). Sharing your deepest desires with God, along with the belief He will be faithful to give you what you need—whether it be your desires or something He knows you need even more: This is crucial to being close to Him. These desires should not be superficial, watered-down, or limited to what you think you deserve, but the deepest cry of your heart. What do you need to cry out for today? What do you need to ask for, in truth?