When God Feels Far Away

Psalm 22:2, "Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief."

I love how real David is with God in the Psalms he wrote. He didn't sugarcoat things. Rather, he poured his heart out to God on the good days and on the not so good days.

In this particular Psalm, he begins with this, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help?" Psalm 22:1.

Have you ever been in David's shoes where God feels so far away that it almost seems He's abandoned you?

It's been quite some time since I've "felt" God close to me. I'll read my Bible daily, go to church on Sundays, and talk to God; but actually being able to feel Him is something that I haven't experienced in some time. I know that you don't have to feel God for Him to be near, but sometimes I want to feel Him, and when I can't I get frustrated and pray the same thing David did, "Lord, I call to You, but You do not answer."

In these moments where we feel God is so far away, we have to refocus and put our faith in action. We can't live off of our feelings. We must go back to the Word of God and remind ourselves of all the places where God promises He is with us always.

Deuteronomy 31:8 says, "Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you."

Then, we read in Matthew 28:20b: "And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Even though God sometimes feels far away, He is with us whether we can feel Him or not.

In the end, what we have to do is live by faith. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, "For we live by believing and not by seeing."

The entire Christian walk is about faith.

This brings me to the story about Thomas. When Jesus rose from the dead, Thomas wasn't with the other disciples when they saw Jesus. John 20:25 says, "They told him, 'We have seen the Lord!' But he replied, 'I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.'"

Thomas wanted to see Jesus before He would believe it was true that he had risen from the dead. Eventually he did get to see Jesus, and this is what Jesus said... "Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!'" John 20:27. The next two verses say this: "'My Lord and my God!' Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, 'You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.'" (verse 28-29).

We must come to a place in our walk with God that regardless of whether we see, hear, or feel Him, we know He is there. We can't base our relationship with Him off of what we feel all the time. We must believe. There will be times when He feels closer than others, but even when He feels far away, we need to trust that He is right beside us.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Sometimes when I can't feel You, I get discouraged in wondering where You are. Lord, my prayer is that You'll strengthen my faith to believe even when I can't see. Constantly remind me of Your Word and the many times You promise never to leave me or forsake me. Help me to walk by faith and not by sight. In Jesus' Name.

Amen.