Do you ever think, “I feel so far away from God. I want to be close to God again. What do I have to do to get closer to God?” I have had these same thoughts over and over again. For many years, I depended on these feelings, and my relationship with God seemed up and down and up and down. I couldn’t maintain any consistency because I was depending on my efforts/performance (reading my Bible, praying, going to church events & conferences, being Christ-like, attending Bible studies, etc.) to attain closeness with God. If I missed a quiet time, I felt far away from God. If I messed up, I thought God was punishing me by being distant. If I didn’t feel God’s presence, then I thought He didn’t care. If I didn’t finish all my tasks or do something the right way, then I felt like God was distant and didn’t hear my prayers. If I didn’t feel close to God when I prayed, then I thought He wasn’t listening.
Then God opened my eyes to the truth that as a believer, I can’t get any closer to God than I already am. He’s inside me–how can I get any closer than that?. I don’t have to do anything to get closer to God. Do I always feel his presence? No, but that doesn’t mean He’s not there. His presence in my life has nothing to do with my Christian performance, but everything to do with the cross of Jesus Christ. So now, when those feelings of distance come, I have a choice–believe the feelings or believe the truth, the promises of God:
“But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him” (1 Cor 6:17)
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19)
“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation–having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,” (Ephesians 1:13)
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
“for He Himself has said, ‘I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,'” (Hebrews 13:5)
“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.” (Psalm 139:7-10)
Rebecca:-)