This past week I have thinking about times when God seems far away. How often we hear, and perhaps speak, the language of distance when we are discussing God and our relationship, or lack of relationship, with him. We speak of God as far away. As removed. We talk about prayer going nowhere, of our words reverberating around our room but never reaching the ears of God. God is remote. Disinterested. Busy. Busy with anything, everything.
But, it seems to me that our perceptions cloud reality. That what we think, what we feel, and what we assume from these feelings and thoughts, is in fact not the truth.
You see for the past almost month I have had migraines that I have been unable (so far) to break. This has left my mind in a fog. And my usual experience of prayer has been far removed. I have been unable to rise early in the morning. And unable to think or to pray in the way that I usually would. And so I could fall into the trap of thinking that God is somehow far away. That my experience is evidence of the reality of my relationship with God.
But as I have laid awake some nights, I have put my mind to remembering. I remember that Jesus has promised to never leave me. That he has told me that he holds me and he will never let me go. And so I breathe. I remember. And I lean into his embrace. And as I do, I know that he is, in fact, near.
I found this quote from Hudson Taylor last week,
When I cannot read, when I cannot think, when I cannot even pray, I can trust.
Hudson Taylor
Perhaps Hudson Taylor had migraines too. But I think the principle here is far more widely applicable and is so essential for each of us. No matter what season or time of your life that you find yourself in God is not far. He is not far away. He is closer than your breath. Nearer than those who love us most. Sometimes we just need to remember.
If you are interested this song was sung at our church on Sunday, it encompasses exactly this thought, maybe they are words that you need to hear today.
Dear Jesus, thank you that you are not far from us. That in fact you are closer than the air that we breathe. Teach us to hold on to this even when we feel otherwise. May we know you close to us, today. Amen
Do you find that God sometimes seems far away? How do you respond when you feel like this? What and how do you remind yourself of the truth?
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