Why does God Seem Far Away?

Is He moving away, or are we  ?

School is back in session, and the lazy days of summer are over. The hectic race begins of fulfilling the school’s list of needed supplies, making school lunches, signing permission slips and getting sports physicals. Your ‘me’ time has now suddenly vanished as if it never existed at all. Little problems start popping up, like the kids having trouble in school, or being outside the click, or having their feelings hurt. You take everything in stride and handle each problem as it comes your way. It doesn’t take long to feel overwhelmed and insignificant. You go to your job and do your work on autopilot finding nothing very rewarding or fulfilling.

You listen to the news and ask yourself what has this world come to? What happened to the good old days? How do we let things get so out of control? When will the world right itself again? Do we really need 87,000 more IRS agents? Why does the IRS have 4600 guns and 5 million rounds of ammunition? What line in their budget allowed for that expense? Should we worry about what to expect in the future, and what type of force will be used to collect the taxes. Who is training these agents in firearm use and safety?

As the world closes in on us, we ask ourselves why does God seem so far away? Didn’t God promise to always be with us and never leave us? Why has he turned his back on us? Well let’s investigate the possibilities of this conundrum. We become spiritually exposed to the influence of evil. We won’t have protection or God’s covering in our life. The devil knows when we don’t have any protection. When you disobey God, have sin or inequity, the devil becomes aware of this, making you an easy target to his attacks.

Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. James 4: 1-8

“What does this mean?” you ask yourself. It’s very simple when the Bible calls something sin, it is sin plain and simple. It doesn’t go away, it doesn’t become politically correct, and if you embrace it or condone the practice these sinful ways, then you are in direct violation of God’s commandments. There are no gray areas when it comes to what God has told his people how to act, and what to believe. We believe in God because he has proven himself over and over again. We have been a nation of bounty because it was founded on the basic morals and commandments given in the Bible. God is not moving away from us; it only appears that way because we are looking through the wrong end of the binoculars. We have taken our eyes off of God. We do not have time for him in our lives, but we expect him to be at our beck and call 24 hours a day. When was the last time you took one hour out of your week to go to church and worship God? We simply don’t take the time or make the time, yet we blame him for moving away from us. We also blame him for everything that goes wrong in our lives, but how often do we thank him for everyday blessings?

So what is the answer to our predicament? How can we turn this all around and put our country back on the right track? Again, the answer is simple turn to the Bible for guidance and understanding.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

So what are we going to do? Are we going to listen and obey? Or are we the ones that are turning away from God?

As parents we want what’s best for our children and we need to dedicate our lives to that purpose. The best way to do that is to keep God in the forefront of our families. The Bible tells us over and over to teach our children and help them remember when this happened and what the outcome was when people disobeyed God. Children learn how to behave because of the environment in which they are raised. The same is true of what they believe, if they see their parents being faithful to God.

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15

We as writers tend to be very politically correct in fear that no one will want to read what we write. In matters like this we are morally misguided and we are adding fuel to the fire instead of standing strong and helping defuse a volatile situation. I for one would rather be morally correct than politically correct, and I can only hope you want that also.