James 4:7-8, New International Version

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Sometimes it can seem like God is distant or that He isn’t speaking. But the truth is, it is us that is distant, we that are not listening. The Word of God says that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) So what is keeping us distant, not listening? Are we getting caught up in ourselves, the things of the world? Or even getting caught up in something that is good and forgetting Who it came from? Do we have a heart that is postured towards Christ?

The Scriptures say, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you...” (James 4:7-8, NIV) We have an enemy that is pretty crafty. He has been studying human nature for thousands of years. He doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel. He uses things such as distraction, doubt, and fear to keep us from fulfilling our God-given destiny. We need to use discernment and be able to recognize when we are being distracted, what voice is speaking…God doesn’t speak negative things over us…fear, doubt, lies about our identity, and so on. That comes from Satan, the deceiver! God calls us His children. We are His! We were and are created in His image for His purpose!

We should continually be seeking Him. Scriptures tell us that, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13, NIV) It can be easy to get thrown off by the good things and focus too much on ourselves or the moment but make sure that when you recognize you are off track, you turn it back to Him. He is the Giver of good gifts! The Bible tells us that, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17, NIV) Give Him thanks and rejoice with Him for His goodness and faithfulness. And when things appear to be challenging, like He isn’t there or listening, ask yourself, “What am I supposed to be learning right now?” Things will not always be perfect or easy in the Christian walk.  We are constantly in a place of learning, growing, and maturing in our faith as we walk with God. Seek Him, seek His will, and stay close to Him! More now than ever we need to be close to Him if we are going to make it through this life and into the next!

I have found that even in the moments when I am faithless, He is faithful. He has never left me or given up on me. He has always brought me back to a place where I am centered on Him and recognizing where I went wrong and how to get back on track. And it was all done in love. I know that my loving Father, our loving Father, can do the same for you as well. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.  He keeps His arms open for you always, just as He does for me!