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| Night (yes night!) sky 6/19/22 |
Yesterday while reading a rather lengthy portion of scripture (1 Kings 19:1 - 15a) during the contemplative service, we were considering times of feeling far from God and times when we have felt close to God. The scripture focused on Elijah fleeing from people who were going to kill him and him calling out to God to die. Yet God provided him with food and drink, and if you think about it, safety.
I started to write that Elijah must have felt far from God because people had ill-intent against him. Yet, God was always present. God made provisions for Elijah in many different ways. Elijah may have felt far from God yet God was not far from Elijah.
I didn't get to write down that this was the same for us. Even though we go through things that make us feel like God is far away from us, God really is not. God is always there for us, providing for us, even if we can't see it or recognize it right away.
We can not go anywhere away from God's presence. We may not feel that God is present in the moment or situation or whatever else it is. But, I have faith and know that God is truly there. We are told that God never leaves us or forsakes us. Even in Jesus' last moments when the cry went out "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" God did not forsake His Son.
I have had times when I felt God was far away. Or if not far away, not as responsive as I would have liked. But God has always been close to me even when I thought He was far away. God may not have responded as quickly as I would have liked. But God responded or didn't respond in the way that was appropriate for the situation.
God is never far away from us. And I am so very glad for that fact.
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