When it seems like God is hiding from us what do we do? Have we misheard Him, have we been forsaken by Him, how do we get through this desert place and back into the manifest presence of God? It is a pleasant place to dwell in the secret place of the Most High and walk under the shadow of His wing when we feel His presence, outpouring, and clearly hear His voice. Here it is easy to let go of distractions and just bask in the sunlight of His manifest presence. However, there are those times when we don’t hear His voice, the flow seems blocked, and He feels so far from us.
When we come to such a place, know that God is hiding himself. We try to pray and it seems as though our words bounce down from the ceiling; try to worship and don’t experience the blessed presence and flow of His Spirit; try to hope but even our strength to hope feels empty without His manifest presence. It is in these times that words we received from Him must be held tightly, for the circumstance will always look the opposite of what He said to us previously. In such seasons – whether short or long – we must lay hold to the eternal truth He will never leave us or forsake us. He has only withdrawn from our feelings so He can build us up in faith and standing in strength no matter what our situation looks or feels like. In this truth that He is always near us, we can stop the panic that creeps upon us and rest assured. Here we wait upon Him, in faith and hope, knowing His face will shine upon us yet again.
In these times of waiting through God’s hiddenness, we should examine our lives to ensure we are not involved in anything that would hinder His outpouring such as sin, forgiveness, or disobedience. If we find such, let us quickly repent and let go for better is one day in His courts than a thousand anywhere else. Is our Beloved desiring to draw us to higher levels in Him, to separate us more fully from the things of the world as He saturates us with His presence we enjoy His nearness, but then as we continue to grasp to the temporal enticements of the world He becomes hidden to draw us to Himself and away from that which limits our purpose. When we have examined our hearts and He still feels far away, just wait and be still and know that He is God.
God is our Beloved, He desires us to long, pant, desire Him. When feel undone by His hiddenness,rejoice for we are just faint with love for Him. How we would take Him for granted were we not to experience such longing for Him – longing enlarges our hearts and capacity to love and receive more of Him. Consider the courtship game played by humans and animals – there is a seeking and a finding. In the Bible we read throughout the Song of Songs of the back and forth between the Beloved and the bride. There is sweet fellowship and then there is separation, but at no time did the love between the two diminish, it only increased. Such times when we experience the hiddenness of God it refines our desire for Him, for we pant longingly for His sweet presence and fellowship. Be not alarmed, for He will not leave or forsake us. We will discover that as we recognize God is hiding, we will seek Him and find Him for we will know He desires us to reach out of ourselves a bit more in each instance and take in more of Him.
In these hidden times we find that we are faint with love for Him, regain our focus of what is important, and are readied to receive more of Him and walk higher in His ways for we learn how to walk by faith not by feeling. Even if we can’t sense His manifest presence let us be strong in the Lord and stand and believe for the last thing He told us, wait for Him patiently, and be unmoved by circumstance or opposition. It is in these times that it can seem as though we are dwelling in a spiritual desert know that He is growing us up, expanding our faith, readying in us to receive more of Himself. Oh, how sweet the return of His voice and presence and once again we are brought to deeper levels of gratitude that we can experience Him in such a way. He is never far from us, only hidden from our feelings. Seek Him during these times, for He will be found by us for He is never far away, only hidden. Let us not dread the hidden times of God, but take this as part of our training to be bold, stouthearted, and unmoved in him.
I have loved you with an everlasting love, I will never leave you or forsake you. Yes, My love, flow in My presence and when it seems I have withdrawn seek Me wholeheartedly for I will be found by you. Wait upon Me to make your way, for surely I will. Do not panic, do not be discouraged, do not lose hope for I am with Thee and will never forsake thee. You are bone of My bone and flesh of My flesh, I have set you as a seal upon My heart, a seal upon My arm.
Oh, come and walk higher with Me, let Me have more of your heart and life. You ask, “What else could I possibly give to God, I’ve offered it all?” My love, there is still your will, your time, your heart. Will I not reveal even deeper places that you have held to yourself as you think, “I’ve given all to God, but I want to keep this for myself.” Oh love, let us be one and see how I will flow mightily through you, pouring out on all I put in your path. The workings of miracles and manifestations of My Spirit are not for days of old but for the now.
In this dark time as the story draws to its triumphant end, let Me bring light where there is no hope, where man has given up, where these precious ones in My sight do not know any other way. Let Me be salve for them, let Me raise them up and make them whole and display My love and infinite tender and compassion upon them. I desire to work in this time and show them that I Am God. I hide myself to draw you out from yourself to longing for more of Me to say even in your frame, “I must have more of Him who is the desire of my heart, the strength of my countenance, my reason for breathing.” Do not fret or be discouraged over that which you do not understand in the workings of your life, I will make all things plain and clear in My time. Just trust Me. I delight to walk with thee.
Song of Songs 3:1-4
“All night long on my bed I looked for the one my heart loves; I looked for him but did not find him. I will get up now and go about the city, through its streets and squares; I will search for the one my heart loves. So I looked for him but did not find him. The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city. ‘Have you seen the one my heart loves?’ Scarcely had I passed them when I found the one my heart loves.”
Psalm 130:1-6
“Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice.Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.”
Deuteronomy 31:6
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Joshua 1:5
“No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'”