The journey of faith is unique and personal. As soon as we accept Christ into our hearts, we sense a change. But it's often not the experience of whimsical angelic hosts or a supernatural touch of God accompanied by the singing of “Hallelujah!” as we walk in the newness of life! A majority of experiences are not like that at all. A proclamation of faith may come with a blip of sweet joy, fluttering into a spiritual high for a moment, only to be sucked right back into those secret sinful places, which only brings about a looming doom of deflating defeat. Other times, a profession of faith comes with years of transformation, living with bold conviction, on fire for God, only to be led to a spiritual desert where God is distant, silent, and even void. Maybe that is where you are now. Roaming around looking for God.
Unfortunately, this is real life as we navigate our faith in a brutal and messy world. Truthfully, you won’t always be on the mountaintop. Oftentimes, you will find yourself flailing around in a valley of sweltering heat with no proof of “Living Water!” These places can feel lonely and bring on a sense of abandonment. But take heart! Where our flesh is weak, our body is broken, and our feelings may lead us astray, there is a beautiful place where all that hurt meets healing and breathes hope.
Friend, if you are searching for God and in need of hope, will you pause and pray with me?
Father, I lift up the beloved child reading this right now. I pray that You would meet them where they are and remind their precious soul of the truth of your faithfulness, goodness, and many promises that are weaved throughout Your Word. Please give them peace and a tangible sense of Your presence today. Amen.
As we search for our God in the wilderness and barren places that this life so often places us, He is faithful to meet us there!
Invite God into your story through praise.
Maybe you are desperate for God to meet you in the middle of your story. You feel you have tried everything from praying to digging into His Word, yet God hasn’t made a peep. His silence is deafening and disheartening. If this is where you find yourself, open your Bible and read Psalms 100:3. (Actually, read the entirety of Psalm 100.) If you can, read it out loud and let it resound in your heart as you praise the Lord.
"Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture." - Psalm 100:3 NLT
When we sing, speak out loud, and proclaim who God is, declaring His majestic power and might, it opens up opportunities to link our hearts to His. It also helps us reflect on the Truth of who we are as His children. Psalms tell us that our God is sovereign and that He has rights to all of humanity, begin a Good Shephard (Psalm 100:3). We are also told that He is holy, merciful, full of grace, and lovingly provides, protects, and keeps His promises (Psalms 145:8-17). Furthermore, His Word tells us that we cannot run or hide from God (Psalm 138:7-9). Ponder those truths for just a moment, and then let them soak into the depths of your heart. There is so much purpose in our praise. Let the Psalms prompt you to give thanks and praise to the Lord in all circumstances, inviting Him to meet you in the middle of your story.
Seek His mercy by transforming your thoughts.
When God still feels distant or silent, it’s generally because we have a spiritual roadblock preventing us from praising and connecting more deeply with Jesus. Maybe it is an attitude of resentment, a place of unforgiveness, a sin we can’t seem to relinquish, or we are wading through a sorrowful season that is casting a shadow of doubt or fear. We can not entertain the world and still follow Jesus. Romans 12:2 tells us we should not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
It starts with what we think! Paul is pleading with Christians to turn from their sinful ways and seek God’s grace and forgiveness. That’s because He knows the detriments it brings when we live a life that has one foot in faith and another in worldly pleasures. The truth is our thoughts will affect our actions. They will influence our behaviors, choices, and often certain outcomes in our lives. This is why we are to focus on what is true, honorable, right, pure, and lovely (Philippians 4:8).
While that may be easier said than done, if we continue to focus on a past sin, God will feel distant. If we constantly think about a relationship in our life that is strained, God will seem distant. If a secret sin captures our thoughts and entices us, God will be distant. However, the good news is that we have a God who is full of never-ending mercy and grace! He has such compassion for us as sinners that He tells us to come to Him, time and time again, with a repentant heart, and He will help us and forgive us (1 John 1:9, Ephesians 1:7).
Check your inner circle.
Who are your closest friends? Are the people in your life making you a better person? Are they drawing you closer to God? Are they calling out blind spots or encouraging you to get back up after a fall? Oftentimes, when we can’t find God, it is because the fellowship that He intended for us is missing. We must realize that there are precious benefits and a bounty of blessings found in finding a community of faith-filled believers.
Proverbs 27:17 tells us that iron sharpens iron. There are many symbolic depictions throughout the Bible, but I love how this verse refers to two people fine-tuning one another and learning the value of good Christian relationships. 1 Peter 4:8 also provides a lovely reminder to reclaim your heart. Peter commands all believers to really work at loving one another, especially in times of great suffering or trials. This verse implies that we all fail and are in need of God’s mercy and grace.
Loving others well embraces the gift of forgiveness. It comes with the realization that we are all sinners and Christ died for us. Yet, when we share Christ-like love, we are able to see one another (and ourselves) the way our God does, which is valued, worthy, and adored. When our inner circle is rich in fine-tuning and love, it creates a bridge for us to meet and connect with Christ in an intimate way as well.
Prioritize your time with God.
We won’t be able to find God if we neglect our prayer life or don’t have a reading routine of being immersed in His Word. Good intentions are not enough. If our prayer lives are only surface-level, then that is what we will also receive from God—a shallow and hollow relationship. When God isn’t at the forefront of our minds, when we seek Him throughout our day and yearn to saturate His Word into our hearts, it will create dissonance and distance. In this case, over time, a disconnect will occur with our most precious relationship.
Truthfully, it’s ever so easy to get stuck in our faith journey or fall off the beaten path and slip into an area of complacency where communication with God isn’t our first go-to response. But that doesn’t mean we have to stay there! When God feels distant, reclaim your time with Him. Here are five simple ways to keep God first and find Him throughout your day:
- Start the day with a morning prayer. Whether you hit the ground running or not, just acknowledging that God holds the day, and He will lead and guide you will put your heart in line with His and set your mind in the right direction.
- Find time in the day to seek stillness. Even if it is five minutes, get still and quiet. It can be going for a walk and listening to nature or sitting on your porch swing in the backyard, but getting still before God welcomes His presence (Psalm 46:10).
- Read His Word. Spending time in His Word is imperative. Find a certain time and plan that works best for you and your schedule, and follow through. Let Him meet you on those precious pages and whisper Truths to your heart.
- Talk to Him throughout your day. God already knows your thoughts, from the struggles to the victories. Share it all with Him. Talk to Him as you go about your day, and invite Him into every aspect of your life.
- Be mindful of what you are putting in your heart and mind. As you go about your day, be mindful of the music, movies, podcasts, or videos that are flooding into your home and car. In a world of questionable content out there, we must learn to guard our hearts and minds.
Oh, dear friend, I pray that as you fix your eyes on Jesus, the protector of our faith, you find His comfort, joy, rest, and peace.
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