Many people tell me that they feel like God left them. They no longer experience the presence and anointing of His Spirit in their life, and they miss that feeling. They want the union with God, which they had during their first experience with salvation. God promises never to leave us (Hebrews 13:5); therefore, in actuality, we leave Him. When we do, it is impossible to feel His presence.
We move away from God in many ways. Those who are
Christians in name only will indulge their flesh with no remorse (2 Peter
2:20-22). Our lifestyle choices will often pull us away. False
prophets lead others away and distract them from worshiping the one true God, (2 Peter
2:1-19). Some people in crisis pray for salvation, but then reject
the Word of Life and turn from walking in righteousness (Romans
13:8-14; Ephesians 2:2).
King David lost the awareness of God's presence one time too. When He walked
away from purity and God's ways, He begged God to help him to overcome his evil
heart. He entreated God to restore the joy of His salvation and to renew a
Godly spirit in him (Psalm 51:10-12). If we walk in the Spirit, it is
much harder to fulfill the desires of our flesh (Galatians 5:16-25). We lose
the craving to be around sin or to take part in it.
We see the destruction that sin leads to and we want the
blessings of God on our life instead (1 Peter 4:1-5). During
the sanctifying process, even if an authentic Believer does not sense God's
presence, we are still basking in His blessings. Once we begin walking in the
Spirit all of the time, however, we always feel the presence of God. Even if
God is silent, we enjoy His company, and we live a life of praise to His name.
Prayer:
Father God, through Your Spirit, You give us hope that we
will live with You throughout eternity (Romans 8:22-25). Help us
to walk as children of the Light, by faith and not by sight (2
Corinthians 5:8; Ephesians 5:8). We want to live in love, just as
Christ did by offering Himself as a sacrifice for our sins (Ephesians
5:2; Philippians 3:16-18). Remind us to pray in the Spirit, so that our prayers
will be effective (Romans 8:26-28). Thank You for giving us Your
Spirit to live in us each and every day.
Thought for the Day:
If we abide in Christ, He abides in us in the same
relationship as the branch and the vine, and together we will bear much fruit
by His Spirit within us. - John 15:4
