Is He hiding?
Do you sometimes feel God is far away? Is He hiding from us or is the distance caused by our actions?
I was in the mountains this past week, my second most favorite place to be for peace and renewal (after the beach, of course). Even better, I had the joyful experience of being at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference with hundreds of other authors.
It was cloudy and rainy most of the week, but that didn’t dampen (pun intended) our joy. We didn’t see the sun for several days and often, fog obscured the mountains surrounding our facility.
There’s a large mountain behind those trees, but we can’t see it for the fog.
But the mountain is still there.
There are some who claim God doesn’t exist because we can’t see Him, but we observe the evidence of His creation whenever we experience the amazing beauty of nature.
We cannot see gravity, but the force is there, keeping our feet on the ground and preventing us from floating off into space.
But where is God when we struggle to feel His presence?
Is He hiding?
In fear and anxiety, the psalmist cries out to the LORD:
Why, LORD, do you stand so far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? (Psalm 10:1)
The writer of the psalm cites the challenge of dealing with wicked men. He fears the enemy who lies in wait to ensnare the innocent–the enemy who appears unafraid of God’s intervention.
But the author doesn’t give in to fear; he cries out to the LORD.
Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. (Psalm 10:12)
The psalmist declares confidence that God listens to our cries for help and will defend us when we call upon Him.
You, LORD, hear the desires of the afflicted; you encourage them and listen to their cry. (Psalm 10:18)
If you’re like me, sometimes you feel alone, as if God is hiding from us. Or that we are unworthy of His attention.
But even though we don’t always feel worthy of His presence, He will answer when we call. He will sit beside us in Spirit.
Or hold us within His embrace when we are alone, terrified, or lost.
God will hide us within His shelter
One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. (Psalm 27:4-5)
A note of thanks . . . I am so grateful for the leaders, organizers, helpers, teachers, author attendees, publishers, editors, agents, bookstore workers, and employees and volunteers at Ridgecrest Conference Center. The conference was informative, encouraging and absolutely wonderful! Thank you and may God bless you all in your ministry of service to Him.
That’s really cool that you got to go to the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. It is hard when we don’t feel worthy of God’s presence. His grace is astounding in that He is with us anyway.
Yes, Priscilla, the conference was great! I’m blessed to live within driving distance. You are right, God’s grace is astounding. I’m so glad you visited and shared your thoughts. Wishing you an awesome week!
I really relate to this, Katherine. Sometimes, it’s hard to sense God’s presence, and it does feel like fog has descended. But our faith reminds us that the sunshine will always prevail.
I think all aspects of God’s creation are amazing, but sunshine is one of the best. Makes me think of the John Denver song about sunshine on his shoulders making him happy. I feel that way, too (as long as it’s not too hot). Being out in His creation helps me feel close to Him. Peace and blessings, Candyce!
I’m thankful for our ever-present God.
Yes, Diana, me too–and looking at His creation reminds us of His presence. Wishing you a joyful week!
He never leaves us or forsakes us. His presence is always with us–grateful.
Grateful–yes, I agree. We are so blessed. Hope your garden is growing well. Don’t you feel close to God as you watch everything grow? May God bless you with rain and sunshine, Laura.
Thanks for sharing that Scripture from Psalms. We can be always assured that God never leaves us, even if we can’t feel His presence.
Psalm 10 and 27 (and so many of the other Psalms) share of God’s great love for us and His assurance that He is always with us. Wishing you a blessed week, Barbara.
I am thankful for God’s presence in every moment. Have a blessed day! 🙂
We are so blessed that He is always near, only a prayer away. Wishing you a great day!
On tough days, creation is where I land to remind me of the nearness of God- even if it’s looking at my rosebushes. Thanks for the inspiration and glad you were able to go to Blue Ridge.
Marilyn, I find nature is my best stress reliever. It also nourishes my creative button–and nature is absolutely my go-to for connecting with God right at the source. Blue Ridge was great. Best wishes for your current author project.
I missed it this year, but I always enjoy the Blue Ridge conference. Yes, the mountain is still there! God never leaves us, whether we sense His presence or not.
We had a great conference, Debbie. Wish you could have been there. We are so blessed that God is with us–loving us and protecting us–even when we feel separated from Him (usually from our actions). Peace and blessings!
What an amazing way to think about God when we can’t feel Him. I’m so glad the conference was such a blessing. Thanks Katherine.