Latest / Kate’s Devotional Podcast / If God Feels Distant, Here's What to Do

Transcript

If God Feels Distant, Here's What to Do · Kate’s Devotional Podcast

• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: So glad you joined my five-minute podcast where my goal is to bring you
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: encouragement as we try to live our lives according to the Bible.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: Do you ever have times when God just feels far away?
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: It seems like your prayers aren't heard.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: You feel empty and just don't have peace.
• 0:21
  In the next five minutes,
• 0:22
  I'm going to show you four things David did when he felt like this.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: I'm taking it straight from his writing, Psalms 13.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: You won't want to miss it.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Hi, guys.
• 0:33
  Do you know what says in the Bible that we can't get away from God,
• 0:36
  even if we tried?
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: Yep, it's found in Psalms 139.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: It says things like, where can I go from your spirit?
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: Where can I get away from your presence?
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: Well, the answer is nowhere.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: There isn't a place we can get away from God.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: You know,
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: for those of us who have a real relationship with Christ,
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: the truth is his presence is always with us.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: The Holy Spirit, He lives in our hearts.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: So why is it that we sometimes feel like God is so far away?
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: I think sometimes our feelings play tricks on us.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: If we're going through a really hard time,
• 1:10
  westarttofeellikeGodismissinginactionorelseourproblemswouldbe
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: getting better.
• 1:16
  I know sometimes when we get busy with everything and just keeping up with
• 1:20
  life,
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: we don't make much of an effort to spend quiet time with the Lord.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: And that can make it seem like we don't feel God's presence.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: Even David felt far away from God sometimes.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: We know that because he wrote about it in the book of Psalms.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: And we can learn from David and what he wrote.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: So let's look at Psalms 13.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: When we feel distant from God,
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: let's see the four things David did as an example that can teach us.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: Number one, seek His face.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: In the first verses of the chapter, David cries out to God.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: He's asking how long this feeling of distance is going to last.
• 1:58
  When we feel this way,
• 2:00
  we shouldn't wait around until our feelings change.
• 2:03
  We'vegottoactivelyasktheLordforarenewedfaithandastrongsenseofHis
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: presence in our lives.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: He wants that for us.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: Number two, David writes about trusting in God's unfailing love.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: The later verses in Psalms 13,
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: it tells us David's faith was present even when he didn't feel it.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: His heart's foundation was his trust in God's love and care for him.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: David had a lot of enemies trying to destroy him.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: I mean,
• 2:33
  howintheworlddidhegetthroughallthosetimeswheresomeonewastryingto
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: kill him,
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: chase him?
• 2:39
  Or how do you get through all the rejection and uncertainty he had in his life?
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: Psalms 13:5 says he trusted in God's unfailing love.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: And we can trust that too.
• 2:53
  Okay,
• 2:53
  number three,
• 2:55
  when we feel distant from God,
• 2:56
  we can rejoice in what God has done for us.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: You know, as Christians, we have a lot to rejoice about.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: In Psalms 40:2-4,
• 3:06
  God talks about how we've been brought out of the pit of destruction we were in
• 3:11
  and
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: how He set our feet on the rock.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: He's forgiven our sins and we aren't a slave to them anymore.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: See, there is plenty to rejoice about.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: And last but not least,
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: number four,
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: when we feel distant from God,
• 3:27
  the last verse in this chapter tells us to praise the Lord in thankfulness.
• 3:33
  David's life didn't always go the way he wanted it to,
• 3:37
  but he didn't stop praising God.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: Having Jesus in our hearts,
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: it gives us the ability to be thankful in spite of our circumstances.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: Having a heart of gratitude can change your whole perspective.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: Once you start remembering all the gifts God's given you,
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: you're going to begin to realize how really close He is.
• 3:59
  Remember,
• 4:00
  just because you feel like the Lord is distant doesn't make it true.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: Those of you who are married, do you always feel close to your spouse?
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: No, but it doesn't change the fact that you're still married.
• 4:13
  Feelings,
• 4:14
  they're based on our whim for the day,
• 4:15
  but truth,
• 4:17
  truth is what matters.
• 4:19
  So as we wrap this up,
• 4:21
  if you're feeling distant from God,
• 4:23
  search your heart.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: Renew your faith and believe you cannot get away from him no matter what.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: God's feelings for you and His presence have not changed.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: So it's up to us to take that first step.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: Talk to God.
• 4:40
  Don't let another minute slip by before you ask God to help you feel His
• 4:44
  presence.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: Because I'm going to be doing the same.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: If you want more of my podcasts or written devotionals,
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: check out my free Substack account at KateDreston.substack.com.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: Make it a great day, and thanks for listening.