When God Doesn't Feel Present

When God Doesn’t Feel Present

  In times when God doesn’t feel present it is easy to assume one of two things: either something is wrong with God, or something is wrong with us. While personal or corporate sin can certainly be a cause for disruption of intimacy with the Lord, the presence of pain or trials should not automatically cause us to question if something is either wrong with God or ourselves.

Two attributes of God most often called into question during times of suffering are his sovereignty and his goodness. With regards to his sovereignty, we may question whether he is still in control, whether our suffering is bigger or stronger than he is. The fact that God is sovereign reminds us that there is nothing more powerful than him. We may also question his goodness; if he is good, why would he let hard or bad things into our lives? It is here that we must remember that God is always working for the good of his people, and that what we call “good” may not always necessarily line up with what he calls “good.”

Another tendency in times of suffering is to assume we are suffering because something is inherently wrong with us. Though we all certainly continue to struggle with sin in various ways even after coming to faith in Christ, this is not intended to be cause for self-absorbed shame in which we continually wallow. The reality for those whose faith is in Christ is that through Christ we have been made righteous and adopted fully into the family of God. God is now our Father, one who delights in us as his children. Though trials may sometimes be God’s necessary way of maturing our faith, we should not take this to mean he is picking on us or punishing us because of our shortcomings or struggles.

For those who follow Christ there will be seasons of dryness or confusion when God does not seem near or engaged. We may find ourselves waiting on him at times. And when we do find ourselves in these places, may we remember both who he is as our Father and who we are as his children through Christ. Two of the best ways to do this is through continual immersion in his Word and with his people.