Finding God

October 25, 2006

By Randy Mantik

At times, we may feel like God has disappeared and we don’t have any idea where to find Him! We can’t quite seem to put ourselves in a position to feel God’s love.

Job felt this way in the middle of his trials. “If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling!” (Job 23:3, NIV). All of us go through moments when we cannot seem to sense God’s love. He seems so far away. We wish we could find out exactly where He lives.

As Job went on to describe his seeming inability to find God, he said, “But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold” (Job 23:8-10).

In the final analysis, we discover we may seek God, but it is not we who find God; it is God who reaches out in loving mercy and reveals himself to us. We realize that He has been there all along. It’s just that we, in our hardness of heart, tend to jump to wrong conclusions. We’re unable to see beyond ourselves, and we miss Him time and time again.

You might ask, “Is God near?” The answer is a resounding yes! We find out just how near God is when we open our hearts and cry out to Him. In a time of trouble under King Asa of Judah, the historian says, “But in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them” (2 Chronicles 15:4). God is never as far as you think. In fact, Paul says, “God did this [created and guided humanity] so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27).

How close is God? Consider this: “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life” (Job 33:4). God’s very breath is in our lungs. That is how close He is. If you have forgotten that, take a moment and close your eyes and set your thoughts on God. Worship Him. Remember the meaning of the name Immanuel — God with us!

Recently, a pastor friend of mine told me this story about his wife. She was driving to a friend’s house while listening to a CD of worship music. As she began to worship along with the CD, a sweet presence of God seemed to fill her vehicle. Feeling the nearness of His presence she asked, “God, how near is heaven?” She heard God speak to her, “I can see you now.” At that moment she felt God tangibly lay His hand on her shoulder, leaving it lay there the rest of the way to her friend’s. As I asked her about it again, two months later, all she could do was cry, still impacted by that personal and precious encounter with God.

It was such a powerful reminder to her that Jesus is very near, not just at times, but all the time.

As I close this, here are a few Scriptures to meditate on, helping us remember God is near, far nearer than we might ever think.

“But what does it say? ‘The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,’ that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming (Romans 10:8).

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15).

“What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?” (Deuteronomy 4:7).

“ ‘You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile’ ” (Jeremiah 29:13,14).

Dear one, wherever you may be today, ask God to show you how near He is. Receive His precious presence. And be changed!

Randy Mantik is senior pastor of Crossroads Church of the Assemblies of God in Pembine, Wis.