When God Feels Far Away

Psalm 77: 7-13

⁷ Has the Lord rejected me forever?
    Will he never again be kind to me?
⁸ Is his unfailing love gone forever?
    Have his promises permanently failed?
⁹ Has God forgotten to be gracious?
    Has he slammed the door on his compassion? Interlude

¹⁰ And I said, “This is my fate;
    the Most High has turned his hand against me.”
¹¹ But then I recall all you have done, O Lord;
    I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
¹² They are constantly in my thoughts.
    I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.

¹³ O God, your ways are holy.
    Is there any god as mighty as you?

After a long trip away from the house, we are all ready to get back home. When we first open the door, the dog and cats always seem the happiest about our return. From the animals’ perspective, they cannot go anywhere. All they see is us leaving, and they do not know when we will come back. I often wonder if there is a point when they lose heart and stop expecting our return. No matter how long we are gone, they are always overjoyed to see us when we come home.

God calls us to be ambassadors for Christ. In other words, we are to represent Christ in a foreign country, so to speak. We were sent by Christ himself to every nation to tell them the good news of the gospel. This is step one, and if you have been anywhere near a church, you have heard it. But remember, we are in a foreign land where people do not act or govern themselves as we do, and hardship is part of the calling.

Psalm 77 walks us through a time when the author cannot seem to find God anywhere around him. Your life may look like this right now. You may be asking the same questions, “Will the Lord reject me forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?” Just like an ambassador placed in a foreign land, you were put exactly where you are for a reason. It is no mistake.

Step two, you are where you are, and God has not forgotten you. We can come up with many remedies for life’s ailments, but only one can resurrect our joy. We must make a personal appeal and remember how God has stretched out his hand in our lives.

God is not out to ruin your life or destroy your joy. We often measure growth only after we have gone through fire. Begin measuring growth by choosing to rejoice in what God has already done and by celebrating his movement in your life. Too often, we fight over what makes us angry, and in response we throw hateful darts at those around us. Practice love, and remember the grace of God in the people around you. It was God who led the people out of Egypt into the promised land, and it was also God who led them through the desert for 38 years. Focus on God and his blessings, and let him handle the rest.

Step three, practice love, because love bears all things. Become disciplined in holding your tongue and repeating what God’s love has done for us. We will never rise above our issues if we cannot make a personal appeal. First Corinthians 13 is the love chapter. Insert your name into the definitions of love and take an honest look. Depending on the results, there may be areas that need work. Do not be discouraged. The Lord is working on all of us, and we have all fallen short. The key is to keep practicing love in all things, because that is how our Father in heaven sees us.

Prayer: Father, help us remember your mighty works and rest in your love. Keep us from living in despair, and help us continually remember all you have done for us. In Jesus’ name, amen.