When You Feel Like God's Presence Isn't Present

It's been a real challenge today to show up and get things done. Honestly, this whole week it has been. It's quite literally after 1:30 p.m. when I'm writing this blog post. My to-do list has said, "write a blog post" on it for far too long. I think what can make writing a post sometimes a challenge is that I'm going through what I'm writing about. It's not just a how-to or talking about things that happened in my past. I'm presently facing what I'm writing about, which is a challenge. This concept makes me admire Paul and the many other great writers of the Bible because they, too, were often going through the very things they wrote about. Yet, they still found a way to muster the courage to encourage others. Even David would go into his Psalms and complain, agonize, and cry out, yet at the end, he'd always find a way to talk about God's goodness and sovereignty. Perhaps that's how God intended it to be for all of us. Yes, you will cry, complain, agonize, and so forth, but in the end, you'll be reminded that God's goodness is so much greater than what you're currently struggling through.

There's something sovereign happening amid your chaos. It's easy to feel like God's presence isn't present. Conveniently, when you struggle the most, you see other people being blessed. So maybe it's not that He's not present everywhere else, but He's not present for YOU. I want to highlight a word in this statement: "feel." Our feelings have a way of taking us places we never desired to be.

You must rely on His character when you feel like God is nowhere to be found or silent concerning your situation. When you can't sense God, you must depend on what you know to be true. Often, our situations are meant to test what we know about God. It's easy to shout and scream like you know and believe in Him when life is going exactly how you desire it to. But trusting God when you're in a waiting season is much harder.

Hold onto this scripture –

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." – Matthew 24:35

God's word is never changing. When your feelings are trying to take over, remind yourself that God is faithful and TRUE! His word can NEVER fail.

During my devotional this morning, I read Jeremiah 1:12, "The Lord said to me, "You have seen correctly, for I watch over my word to accomplish it."

I believe many of us are being challenged by the very dreams God gave us. We agonize over the promises God said He would fulfill in our lives and question whether what He said in our secret place is true. But the Lord told Jeremiah, as I believe He's telling you, who is reading this, "You have seen correctly." The dreams that fluster in your heart, the words you heard in earnest prayer, the desires you've clung to, you have seen correctly. And because you have seen correctly, the Lord WILL watch over His Word to ACCOMPLISH IT in your life!

When it feels like God's presence isn't present:

1. Hide in His word

2. Cry out in prayer

3. Remember what He did before

God failing isn't an option or a question.

When it feels like God is silent, remember that He is with you. His word can't fail, and in His word, He tells us in Psalm 23:4 –

“Even when your path takes me through the valley of deepest darkness, fear will never conquer me, for you already have! Your authority is my strength and my peace. The comfort of your love takes away my fear. I’ll never be lonely, for you are near.”

God's peace is still available to you. His love for you hasn't dwindled, nor has His strength disappeared.

The comfort of the Lord is present when you trust in His truths. Often, our peace is troubled because we've allowed our minds to believe a lie. The lies that fear feeds us of our ability to never become, get back to, or never have access to [fill in the blank with whatever your issue is].

Today, I'd like to tell you to STOP BELIEVING THE LIES. When you acknowledge the truth of God, it'll begin to drown out the lies that have built up in your mind. God's truth is richer, broader, and better than every last lie you've believed.

And all of this is found in His word alone. When you feel like God's presence isn't present, run to His word! Only there can you enter into the oasis of His faithful love, peace, and endless joy.