S4 E13: Why Can God Seem Far Away?

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Season 4 of Spirit-Led Hope covers the Doctrine of God, or theology, from a Spirit-led perspective. In this episode, Glenn answers a deep question...if God is omnipresent, why can he seem so far away? Glenn discusses three things that can make God seem so far away, and what we can do to be closer to God.

This episode has a transcript. If your podcast player does not support transcripts, please go to the Transcripts section of https://spiritledhope.com/ . These transcripts have been edited for accuracy and are typically of higher quality than those produced automatically by many podcast apps.

Season 4 is part of a long term goal to study systematic theology from a Spirit-led perspective. If you want to know more about systematic theology, or expand your study, Glenn is using the following text as a helpful framework to make sure the main topics are covered:  Foundations of Pentecostal Theology, by Guy P. Duffield and Nathaniel M. Van Cleave.  The book is published by Foursquare Media and Glenn is using the Second Edition published in 2016.       

Transcript

S4 E13 TRANSCRIPT 

WHY CAN GOD SEEM FAR AWAY?     

INTRODUCTION

Hello everyone and welcome to Spirit-Led Hope. My name is Glenn Erichsen, and in this episode, we are answering the question:

     WHY CAN GOD SEEM FAR AWAY?

In the last episode, Episode 12, one of the things we talked about was the omnipresence of God. We discussed that God is transcendent and beyond his Creation, but he is also immanent and involved with his Creation. Had we gone deeper in our discussion, we would have read Scripture stating that God is everywhere, and everything in the universe depends on the sustaining power of God. In the book of Colossians, we read that “all things hold together” because of Jesus.

There is no place we can go where God is not present. I also mentioned in Episode 12 that this is hard to understand, because it is something beyond our human experience. This can create some angst, and cause us to have some questions. 

One of the biggest questions people often struggle with is our topic for this episode. I mean, if God truly is everywhere, why does he sometimes seem so far away? That is a deep question, and it is often born out of deep sorrow or hurt. So, I want to try and answer that question thoughtfully and gently.

THE MANIFEST PRESENCE OF GOD

The first thing we need to see is that just because God is present everywhere, that does not mean he acts the same everywhere at the same time. In other words, God may manifest his Presence differently throughout space and time. And some of these ways can seem both strange and amazing.

For example, when the Israelites were leaving Egypt, God presented himself in a pillar of cloud and pillar of fire. The Israelites could see with their eyes that God was present with them. But God did not stop being in other places when he was there. The pillars of cloud and fire were special manifestations to help the Israelites grow in trust and faith. There are many examples like this in the Old Testament.

And then, of course, we have Jesus who became the ultimate physical manifestation of God. God himself, present in human flesh. But while Jesus was limited to a specific locality in Israel, that does not mean that God was not present everywhere else.

God is constantly upholding and sustaining everything. He is always everywhere, even though he may manifest and reveal himself in special locations at special times.

WHAT DO WE MEAN GOD IS FAR AWAY?

So, what do we mean when we say that God seems far away? If he is everywhere, at every time, how can we even say that?

I believe that what we are really saying has two main components:

First, that we are not aware of his Presence.

Second, that we do not see God doing anything on our behalf. Or, we do not see him doing what we want him to do, right?

In other words, even though we may intellectually understand that God is everywhere, we are not aware of the manifest Presence of God. We want God to do something, and we do not see it. We want to know that he is with us and yet we do not have any feeling or awareness that he is present. At times like this, our intellectual belief that God is omnipresent just does not seem to be enough. That is what we are talking about.

WHAT SHOULD WE EXPERIENCE?

I think it is fair to ask the question, “How should we know that God is present with us?”

When I was a boy in church there was this mantra of, “the Bible said it, I believe it.” The idea behind that statement was that I simply had to believe whatever I read in the Bible. So, if the Bible said that God was always with me, I just needed to accept that and move on.

But the Bible itself says something very interesting. The Bible says that there is something beyond intellect. In fact, the Bible says that we know God’s Presence with God’s help. That is what we read in Romans 8:16…

The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children…

Romans 8:16 CSB

Our awareness, that God is with us, that we are his children, comes from an intimate relationship between the Holy Spirit and our spirit. Yes, the Holy Spirit will work through the inspired text of the Bible, but it is the Spirit-to-spirit connection which tells us that we are adopted children. 

In Galatians 4:6 it says that God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”

It is the Holy Spirit, who allows us to “know that we know” that God is always present with us. And this Presence, if I can say it this way, is a personal manifestation of God. And no, I am not talking about the New Thought idea of manifesting dreams and desires into existence. I am talking about God himself establishing a personal relationship with us.

Personally, I am aware that God consistently reveals himself to me. I know that God is with me in a way that is beyond his omnipresence as the Sustainer of all things. When I wake up in the morning and all day long, I know he is with me.  He talks to me, and I talk to him. It is just him and me, even though I know he is with everyone else at the same time. 

There is nothing special about me. This is what every Christian can and should expect. Now, how God chooses to manifest himself to each person is up to God. My time with God may look different than yours. But every believer has the privilege, documented in Scripture, of “knowing that they know” God is with them always because of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

WHAT CAN MAKE GOD SEEM FAR AWAY?

So, knowing this, what can make God seem far way? And now, we are finally at the point where we can answer the question.

God will seem far away if anything hinders our Spirit-to-spirit connection. In other words, our nearness to God has nothing to do with distance in space but has everything to do with our spiritual condition.

We could probably have many episodes on this, but in this Episode, I am going to list three things that can make God seem far away, even though he is omnipresent.

SIN MAKES US FEEL DISTANT FROM GOD

The first thing that can make God feel far away is probably the thing that comes to our minds most readily…and that is sin. This is where I want to be gentle, yet firm. Growing up, the church I was in focused heavily on rules and how any violations were sin. This was so oppressive, that it was easy to live with constant shame and feeling rejected by God. Somehow, in that environment, God’s grace and love was ignored.

The church elevated the law but missed Romans 8:1,2 which says…

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:1,2 CSB

And had the church kept reading, they would have seen Romans 8:38,39:

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38,39 CSB

When we read verses like this, we can see that sin does not separate us from the love of God. God still loves us, and he is not condemning us. But that does not mean that we should keep on giving in to sin. 

And this is where I need to be firm. Even though our sins do not separate us from the love of God, they will make him seem distant. Why? Because God is holy and he wants us to be holy, and like him. The more our character is like God’s, the easier it is to hear him and relate to him. When we grow in the fruit of the Spirit, we walk step by step with God, right by his side, so to speak. It becomes more natural to recognize his manifest Presence. But when we sin, we are out of step, and he is not next to us. It is not that he left us, but our steps take us away from him. It is very difficult to recognize God’s manifest Presence when we are consumed with sin.

Does that mean that sin automatically makes God seem distant? Not necessarily. God knows our individual situations and will always reveal himself in accordance with what is best for us. In fact, God reveals himself to us so that we can become Christians. Just because we are sinners does not mean that God will always seem far away. Anyone who seeks God will find him.

But once the Holy Spirit dwells within us, we should take the indwelling Presence of a Holy God seriously. Unchecked, willful sin is a sure recipe for a Christian to feel distant from God. The good news is that restoration of relationship is made possible through Jesus. If sin is creating a distance between you and God, I encourage you to repent and confess and get back in step with God. There is so much joy and peace in a relationship with God when we keep sin in check because we experience his manifest Presence.

WRONG BELIEFS ABOUT GOD

The second thing that can make God seem far away, is when we have wrong beliefs about God. Wrong beliefs have a way of preventing the growth of our Spirit-to-spirit connection. 

For example, I mentioned earlier that I grew up in a church which fostered shame and fear of rejection. If I believe that God is ashamed of me and does not want me, of course my relationship with God will fade. I will keep away from God as far as I can and never approach him. Any belief that paints God as mean, or hateful, or uncaring, can create barriers which make God seem distant.

God can also seem far away if we do not correctly understand what he has shown us in Scripture. Another example from my life is that I did not understand who the Holy Spirit was and his role in my life. I became a Christian at a young age, and there is no doubt that the Holy Spirit lived within me…despite my ignorance. But my closeness to God expanded when I embraced the Holy Spirit as God and allowed him to transform me and work through me.

If you find that God seems distant, look at your beliefs about God. Pray about them and compare them to Scripture. You may find that an adjustment is in order.

DISTRACTION

The third reason why God can seem distant, is that we can get distracted. When we are distracted, we stop doing the things that keep us in spiritual contact with God. We pray less, we read the Bible less, we worship less, we serve others less, and we spend less time with fellow believers. All these things are additive. 

As you pay less attention to God’s manifest Presence, God often manifests his Presence less. God often meets us according to our spiritual hunger, and the distracted person is getting fed somewhere else.

One thing that can be a big distraction is pain. People with chronic physical pain often have a hard time focusing on God…and this is understandable. Humans are body, soul, and spirit. It should not surprise us that when the body suffers, our soul and spirit suffer. The same can be said for emotional pain.

In 2017, those of you who know my story know that my wife Monica was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. The morning after her diagnosis I was in a state of shock. And I realized that for the first time in decades, I was unaware of God’s manifest Presence. My spirit was unaware of God’s Spirit. I felt totally alone and lost. It was devastating.

The pain from the possibility of soon losing my wife hurt so badly, that was all I could think of. My thoughts were consumed with fear, and pain, and loss. That pain was strong enough to overcome my awareness of the Holy Spirit.

Fortunately, God was kind to me. The Holy Spirit made himself heard and encouraged me to worship. That was a sacrifice, to praise God in the middle of my pain and it took some effort. But when I gave praise to God, I was aware of him again, and he gave me the strength to move forward. Almost 8 years later, as I record this Episode, my wife is doing well, and we recognize it as a miracle.

If you find that God is distant, check to see if you are distracted. If you are, find ways to put God first, and he will find ways to alert you to his Presence. And if you are in pain, I pray for your healing and a deeper awareness of God.

CLOSING

These are just three reasons why God may seem distant, even though he is omnipresent. If any of these apply to you, I trust that you will take the right steps so that your spirit is encouraged by the Holy Spirit.

Normally, this is the spot where I tell you what is coming in the next episode. However, I do not know! We are more than six months into Season 4, and I am getting tired. I think the Season is almost done, but I am not sure. It is very possible that I may need a small break while I do taxes and rest a bit. Spirit-Led Hope is done in my spare time, and time is hard to spare right now. If I do take a break, I will post a minicast so you will know what is going on.

As always, you can send me comments, suggestions, or questions, by email at glenn@spiritledhope.com, or simply use the Contact Form at spiritledhope.com. That is spiritLEDhope.com. You can also send me a one-way text message by going to the episode show notes and clicking on the link with your smart phone. This is one of the ways you can encourage me, especially when I am tired.

If you find these episodes useful, please share them with your friends, leave a good review on your podcast app, post them to social media, and make sure to follow the podcast so that you are notified when the next episode is published.

As you press in, to the manifest Presence of God…

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit.  

Until the next episode, take care.

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