What to Do When God Seems Far Away

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But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation.

Micah 7:7

God may seem hidden to us, but He is never absent. He may seem far away, but He is always at work. Micah knows God is near, and that is why He watches and waits. Fishermen know about this. You don't see any fish, but you know they’re there, so you watch and you wait expectantly.

God may hide His face from you for a time, but not forever. If you find yourself in great darkness, watch to see what God will do. Watch what He does in your own heart. Watch what He does in the people around you. Watch what He does among other believers.

God’s purpose often takes us through the darkness, but it never ends there. You may think of waiting as something you have to endure in order to get what you want. But God speaks about waiting as the way that we grow when we don’t have what we want.

God’s promises are as good in the darkness as they are in the light. That’s why Micah can say, “When I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me" (7:8). God works in the darkness as much as He does in the light.

God’s greatest work was done in total darkness during three hours when Jesus hung on the cross. Nobody could see what He was doing then. If ever there was a moment when it seemed God was hiding, it was on the cross where He splintered the gates of hell and opened up access to heaven.

But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me… When I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me (7:7-8). That’s faith.

Where do you need to exercise faith today by watching and waiting?