Is God Hiding from You?

“Jesus the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills my breast;
But sweeter far Thy face to see,
And in Thy presence rest.” - Bernard of Clairvaux

When we walk God there is a strong feeling of security and guidance. There is no doubt or hesitation because He is leading the way. Whatever obstacles we might encounter, or pot holes we hit in the dark roads of life, there is nothing that can rattle or upset us with God as our guiding light.

This describes the way the nation Israel must have felt as they made their way from Egypt toward the promised land. Although Moses was their physical leader, it was God who was the true source of protection and guidance. When God spoke, Moses and the people acted accordingly.

This arrangement worked beautifully. Then, while Moses and Joshua were away on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:13; 31:18) the people grew restless; and in the absence of, both, Moses' leadership and God's presence, they regressed into sinful behavior. Needless to say, this was a bad move on their part.

As a result, God was angered with Israel. And while he could have very easily done away with them; thanks to the pleading of Moses he decided to punish them instead; not by turning away from them, but by pulling back on his presence. Simply put, God went into hiding from them (Exodus 32:2-3).

Without a doubt, this can easily happen to you and I, too. Sometimes we can feel as if God has pulled back from us; that He's not as close; as sensibly near and precious as He used to be. We feel extremely vulnerable and lacking as did Job (Job 29:3) and David (Psalm 42:5).

God called the Israelites "stiffnecked," or stubbornly disobedient people (Exodus 32:9; 33:3). No sooner were they left to their own devices than they turned from God. Make no mistake, we're not exempt from this either. Our own forgetfulness, unbelief, or perversity can cause God to pull back. 

Though He will not forsake us, he can hide from us. "For He hath said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). Our sins separate us from God. Even though they don't create an impassable chasm, they do create a rift between us that can fill the soul with a definite emptiness.

The next time you feel as if maybe you and God are not quite on the same page, do a little soul-searching. Take an assessment of your life and see what's going on. Sin is really good at sneaking in to our lives. And, here's something else to consider as you assess the situation: the problem will never be with God.

Scripture: Numbers 32:23; 1 John 1:6; Ephesians 1:7; Galatians 6:7; 1 John 1:10 

Prayer: Dear Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps, but You. Please guide me in all ways and at all times, amen.

Have a blessed Monday!

Hailey