Far From God

There are times in our life and in our walk with Christ when things just seem to be sideways.  Some call it a desert experience, a dry spell, or just feeling distance from God.  One of my favorite preachers talks about being "dry as cracker juice".  Here is the problem with being in that place.  When we are not in a place where we feel immersed in the living water offered by Christ through the power of His Holy Spirit we, like other dry things, are in danger of crumbling.

It happens to all of us.  There is an old preaching illustration about an older couple riding down the road in an old pickup with a bench seat.  As the man drove his wife, who was seated against the passenger door said "honey, whenever we were younger and rode down the road in this old truck we always sat a lot closer together". The man, with his hands on the steering wheel said "Honey, I am not the one who has moved". This is a picture of us with God.  When we feel distance, it is because we have allowed other things to take precedence and preeminence in our lives.  God has not moved.

I must confess that the late Spring and early summer was a period like that for me.  At times, My relationship with God felt like a relationship with a distant cousin more than a Heavenly Father.  My time, my efforts, and my internal priorities did not reflect God's preeminence.  In ministry, we often tell ourselves that activity equals communion with God.  I have railed against it among church members and friend in ministry, but have fallen victim myself from time to time.

Why do I tell you this?  I share it to let you know that the desert is not the place to give up, it is the place to find the holes in your armor.  When you come out of that time you will be able to look back and see where things went sideways.  This time around, I have learned that if God's Word is not a priority in my life apart from my sermon/teaching preparation then my relationship with Christ will suffer.  Jesus' place in my life must be the focus. In this time I preached many sermons that were biblical, solid, and well put together.  However, preaching was my solace because it was in those short minutes that I truly felt engaged with God.  Too many times our work (even ministry), families, and other activities take center stage.  We do not serve a backstage God.  It has been a struggle, but I am better for it.  God was in control of it, even if it came as His hand of correction.

We will all have times where we feel far from God, but we must decide if we will dry up and die in the desert or learn how we walked away from the refreshing and nourishing Water of Christ.