Feeling Far Away From God
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them,’Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. (NKJV Luke 15:4-7)
Do you feel far away from God? Have you felt close to God, only to have the things of this life drive a wedge in your relationship? Do you feel that you don’t have enough time to really get to know God? Do you feel that life’s pursuit has gotten in the way of your relationship with God? Because we are occupied by our personal endeavors, our devotion to God becomes the last thing on our list. When we spend less time with God, we find ourselves gasping for His unconditional love.
Regardless of how we may unintentionally ignore our relationship with Him, His love for us is everlasting! “For I am the LORD, I do not change…” (Malachi 3:6) It’s hard to stay separated from the one we love; likewise, God himself yearns to be reunited with us because of His GREAT love for us.
We are separated from God by many things. You don’t have to be separated from God anymore. Deep inside your heart and spirit, you must come to the realization that there is more to life than your own pursuits. God wants you to recover from a spiritually unhealthy life without him. He has enough of what you need and more. You have a very kind heavenly Father stretching out His hands to you in readiness to pick you from all your falls and faults. He will provide for your happiness. The cross has made a way for you to unite with God and have a relationship with Him.
The first step in getting back to God is the consciousness of sin and an immediate return to him. Although you may have broken your relationship with God by your conduct and living, He is ready to forgive. Humility and repentance will guide your way towards unity with God. God sees your need for His love and compassion and so when you’re reunited with Him, He will rejoice over you with singing and celebration. He will robe you with His righteousness saying, “Once you were lost, but now you’re found!” His amazing grace still works.
God is waiting patiently with arms wide open to receive you back just like a loving father would. Even though you may have made decisions to separate yourself from Him, He desires to be close and reconnect with you. You might have decided to leave the church in search of something better. God is calling you to come back home. People may judge you inside the church walls, and you may feel stigmatized when you come back to church, but those feelings can be very misleading. People look on the outside, but God looks at the heart, and HIS vision of you is the most important!
What Does GOD Say?
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them,’Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
(NKJV Luke 15:4-7
Other Verses: Isaiah 59:2; Luke 15:11-24; Malachi 3:6; Ezek 36:25-26; Psalms 86:5
