Encountering Jesus in Absence

God's timing is impeccable. After a few solid months of feeling super close to God, experiencing goosebumps on a regular basis, and having incredible moments of hearing Him speak to me, the last month or so He had become disconnected and distant. When I sat down to read chapter 9 of  Jesus is Better Than You Imagined I felt a little lost, questioning His presence when a couple months before I had felt Him leading me so strongly. I didn't want to talk to Him as much, and I found it was more difficult to communicate with Him than it had been for quite some time. I had felt so close to Him for so long. Why did He seem to just disappear?

God doesn't want to play a cosmic game of hide-and-week. He wants to grow me, stretch me, and teach me. When I accept that God's quietude may mean He's up to something, it frees me to embrace rather than resist the experience. And when I open my hands to the mystery of divine absence, I'm challenged to start moving forward in faith again. (p. 157)

I was in a dangerous place. In His silence it would be easy to let those steps of our close relationship slip. Take time out for your Words? But Jesus, my husband is traveling and my chore list just doubled...  Spend 5 minutes of quiet to listen to You? But Lord, I suddenly have more work than I can handle...  Sit down and focus on prayer? Sorry, God, but a quick prayer of thanks before a meal is just going to have to be enough for today. 

Move forward in faith. "Will you follow Me even though you don't feel Me?"
​
"Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world." (James 4:8)

Does God feel silent in your life right now? What steps of obedience will you take, showing your trust that He is still there?

God, help me to see your silence as an exercise in faith. Help me to trust that in the moments of felt absence You are still at work. 

God never left. He was just giving me some space. He knows that sometimes you need to experience His absence to crave His presence, and sometimes we know Him better by missing Him. (p. 161)