Are you sure God is near to you? Maybe you have been disappointed with God and built a great big wall. You no longer feel his presence, so you wonder—will God become frustrated with me in my stubbornness and abandon me?
Over the last month, I have shared with you about my disappointment with God. It stemmed from a significant loss which I knew he could have prevented but didn’t. I didn’t hide the fact I had erected a mighty BIG wall to keep him at a distance. My faith stood firm, but the feelings of his undeniable presence were gone.
The good news is God is always near whether we feel him or not. Click To Tweet
Step by step, I have been inching my way back into the arms of God by following the “Ten Steps to Take When You Are Disappointed with God.” While trying hard to rekindle the feelings, I had one of those “God moments,” which reminded me in an unexpected way he was near.
A God Moment
It was early in the morning when I heard the door close downstairs, and a voice asked, “Have you looked outside yet?” I ran to the window, pulling at the shades as they clanked about to peer through the slats and see the front yard.
Ahhhh – it was beautiful. A fresh blanket of snow had graced our neighborhood. I immediately grinned from ear to ear.
Crisp new snow always brings thoughts of a fresh new start.
However, on this particular morning, I didn’t have time to savor the thought too long. I had a plane to catch, and missing it would be a problem as I had a presentation to give at my next destination.
This snowstorm was a bit unexpected, and I began to ponder whether the roads would be safe. I rushed about, knowing it would be wise to leave a little earlier than planned.
Huffing and puffing, I maneuvered my big suitcase through the snow and up into the car. Why I pack so much I will ever know. As I exhaled, I breathed a sigh of relief as I heard the familiar sound of the snowplows pushing the snow to the side of the highway. I muttered under my breath,
“Thank you, God.”
We headed down the pass in the cold and the dark, a little slower than usual but still going with a bit of speed. Then all of a sudden, we began to slide from one lane to the next. I watched as my friend turned her wheel back and forth into the slide like a pro.
It was then, out of nowhere, the wall I had built between God and me crumbled into a thousand pieces. Now I know what you might be thinking, “Of course you cried out to God when in need, and he showed up.” But that is not what it was about; it was entirely different.
In those few seconds, a sense of peace came over me, and I felt God’s closeness. Instead of being overcome with fear, which would have been warranted, I quietly expressed aloud,
“You Got This.”
I could feel God with us in the car at that moment. Of course, at the same time, as we slid into the other lanes, I was completely aware of the high probability of hitting another vehicle. Plus, we were creeping closer and closer to the edge of the road, which I knew dropped deep into the canyon below.
BUT I wasn’t afraid. God’s presence was not only known – I was feeling it.
In those few seconds, God enveloped me with the kind of peace that makes no sense and settles in your soul. I knew without a doubt no matter what happened; God would not leave me. Though the outcome was uncertain, I wouldn’t be alone, and He would be enough.
Don’t you love it when you have a “God moment”? Please share one with us.
But what happens when we don’t have the feeling of his nearness? Are you sure God is with you?
This is where we turn to what we know, not what we feel.
God Never Moved
Oh, I know God never moved; I’m the one who departed. I stomped my feet and allowed a wall to go up. He didn’t do things the way I had expected nor desired, and I responded in a way that put distance between us.
However, never once did I doubt he was near. Never once was my faith in jeopardy. After all, God and I have a relationship built on Trust covered with Faith, Hope, and Love.
Are you in a place where you don’t feel God’s presence?
How to be sure God is Near
1. Go to His word and take in the truth.
2. Remember those “God Moments” when his presence was undeniable. Write them down so you can pull them back out in times when you can’t feel his closeness.
Yes, I did make it to the airport unharmed with a new song in my heart and that old familiar feeling of the Lord’s presence deep in my being. If you are not feeling near to God, I would love to pray for you. Please leave me a comment or send me an email.
We can be sure God is near regardless of whether we feel it.
He promised us he would never leave us.
We can be sure God is near regardless of whether we feel it. He promised us he would never leave us. Click To Tweet
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Great post, Maree. Your last couple of posts have made me realize I’ve erected a wall of my own. It’s hard to understand sometimes why God doesn’t meet us in certain ways, but I’m learning to trust and say “Your will be done.’
Yes, a beautiful statement. “Your will be done.” Thank you for sharing. I hope you wall comes down soon. God is near. Blessings, Maree
God is always with us, it is us who build the separation in one way or another. Great post! I love that your faith never wavered. Thanks for sharing
Debra, Thank you for taking the time to stop by. Yes, we are so blessed God never leaves us. Maree
What a beautiful story of Immanuel, God with us!
Anita, – Yes, he is always with us. We can count on that. Maree
What a beautiful moment!
Thank you!!!
I love those God moments, Maree. I feel the bumps raise on my arms and I can feel His presence. I am struggling with some things right now, but I put my trust that God is aware of everything. He will show Himself faithful again. Thank you for the opportunity to share. Have a wonderful weekend and God bless.
Horace, I love your description of your God moments. Thank you for sharing. I am praying for you in your struggles tonight as I hit send. Hang on to that trust you have in God. Blessings, Maree
So scary and yet a beautiful way to experience God’s presence. I love those God moments so much!!
Diane – I love God moments too. However, I will say I prefer a spectacular sunrise or rainbow. I hope you have been having a great weekend. Maree
Hi Maree,
God has a theme going again 😀 I love those God moments! And the thicker the wall we created around ourselves the sweeter the moment when it shatters!
My God moment is shared in https://teawithjennifer.blog/2018/10/19/tea-tigers-in-the-highlands-of-malaysia/
Blessings,
Jennifer
Jennifer,
Thank you for sharing your God moment. Heading over there now to read it.I’m with you – I love those God moments. Maree
We may erect walls and distance ourselves from God, but he is always there for us and nothing can separate him from us. And that is a wonderful promise.
Theresa – Amen! One of my favorite promises. Maree
This is so rich with God’s Truth and love. I am wanting to have God right with me each step of this journey through grief. It is such a hard season yet it is sweet because I have the Lord. Oh, what a blessing. I know that He is holding me near, teaching me how to walk in this new season…like being an infant learning to walk but this time I am learning to walk with the Lord. He was there then, but I did not know that. Praising God for this new day.
Yes, he is holding you close as you journey through grief. I am holing you in my prayers tonight that you will feel God’s undeniable presence as you grieve. Blessings, Maree
What a harrowing experience! Ultimately, it was probably the best thing that could have happened to you. It “woke you up” to the wall you had erected around your heart to keep God out. He was there all the time. So glad YOU moved back to Him!
Laurie – You are so right it did wake me up to that old familiar feeling of closeness and being in the arms of God. Thank you for your sweet note. BLessings, Maree
So true that we need to stick close to truth and not trust our feelings when God feels distant. It’s so gracious of Him to come crashing through the walls we build, and just one more application of the Romans 8 truth that “nothing can separate us from the love of God.”
Michele, Yes! Thank you for reminding all of us of Romans 8. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. WHat a good though as I close out my day. Blessings, Maree
It’s so easy to get so consumed in our day to day chaos that we forget God is near. How wonderful that He brought you such peace at a time when you did not know what the result would be. So grateful that He always draws near when we need Him most.
Yes, being still is super hard for me, and in the day to day chaos it is easy to forget God is near. Thank you for stopping by and joining our conversation. Blessings, Maree
This is a lovely, beautiful picture of God’s presence and love when it was most needed! I treasure these God moments, and always wish I experienced them more than I do. But then, i guess that’s what heaven is for!! Thank you for this wonderful picture of grace and love from a caring and personal God! ((hugs))
Rachel – What a beautiful thought to think about all the God moments we will have in heaven. Thank you for adding that to our conversation. I too treasure the God moments He gives me. I have found if I slow down enough to be in the moment I experience even more of them. This is hard for me to do.
Maree, thank you for sharing. I know what you mean about stomping your feet and putting up a wall but your love and belief never wavering. I’m so happy you felt Him in that moment. I recently had a God moment the other night commenting on someone else’s blog. She was expressing her doubt in herself to share the gospel and suddenly the Lord spoke to me as I was writing to her. I have been going through a phase where I haven’t been praying or writing on my blog much. I’d put up a wall with Him. But he told me in that moment that my blog is not only a ministry to uplift others but first and foremost He knows that I need that blog to hold myself accountable and to grow in relationship with Him. I had never looked at it that way before. He told me that He i using my love for writing to grow in relationship with me. It was really cool to have God be so direct with me in that moment as though He spoke the words right into my heart. Thank you for sharing. 🙂 <3
Rachel, Thank you for sharing your God moment with all of us. I loved hearing how clearly God spoke and how you paid attention. I can’t wait to see what God does through you on your blog. Sending prayers as you step out in obedience. Blessings, Maree