Experiencing God's Presence #180

Experiencing God's Presence #180

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!

Habakkuk 3:17-18

God is drawn to naked faith—the kind of faith that believes, hopes, and endures in spite of appearances. Anyone can trust God when life is smooth and pleasant, and He often gives us those seasons. But when everything seems to be falling apart—when the God of all grace and comfort seems to be hiding His grace and comfort—faith is tested. Those times are dividing lines; faith either endures or fails. When it endures, God draws near.

This sets up an odd situation of God withdrawing His Presence in order to eventually make His Presence even more felt. He steps back to stretch and strengthen our faith, then He steps in to reward our faith with His closeness. The result is a divine dance in which He and we experience choreographed spaces and then bridge them in an expressive rhythm. The cycle of yearning and satisfaction is repeated again and again—if we make it through the yearning phases without losing our trust. When circumstances make Him seem absent—when He’s on one side of the stage and we’re on the other—we hold on, knowing that the choreography will bring us back into an intimate, face-to-face encounter.

Many people drop out of the dance when the distance comes, assuming that God is unavailable or uninterested in closing the gap. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hard times and a seemingly distant God have a purpose, but that purpose is never to alienate us. It’s to keep us seeking, to draw us closer, to elicit the cry of our hearts to be near. And when that cry persists, it’s always answered.

Lord, please help me see every turn of events with You as a step in the choreography, not as a measure of Your desire to be with me. I know your ultimate purpose is for us to be united as one and to experience the closest intimacy possible, and everything works toward that goal. Please bring my heart into the rhythm of that process.