“…He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist…” Acts 17:27, 28
I never learned to ride a bike until I was 8. Most of my friends had the skill down well before, but I came to the party late. My friend’s older sister was the one to coach me through it. Her technique involved getting me to sit on the seat with my feet on the pedals while she held the back end of the bike steady. That way, I mentally understood that I was upright but not because I was standing. Then she said, “Start pedalling.” As I pushed the pedals, she pushed the back of the bike. I went slow and she held the back as we moved. Occasionally, I would say, “Are you still back there?” She said yes. After five minutes of this repetitive conversation, I remember saying, “Are you still back there?” No one answered. At that point, I knew it was all me. She had let me go.
As liberating and healthy as that moment was, as grateful as I was for her willingness to let me go, I reflect today on how this is not the way God teaches us life. He never lets go. Hebrews 13:5 tells us that He will never leave us or forsake us. The author of Hebrews reminds us of that in light of the worries we face about money, but it is clear he also wants us to know that God is not going to ditch us.
There are many followers of Jesus I speak with who tell me they feel like God has abandoned them. They see only hardship and heartache in their lives and when they pray, they hear or sense nothing coming back. The reasons for that are multiple and vary from person to person, but what is important to remember in these moments is that your feelings fall under His truth. God does not abandon His children. That doesn’t make the hardships or the heartaches go away, but God is hoping in those moments that your faith will rise up and fill you with peace that makes no sense.
The verse above clinches this idea. God is never far from you no matter what the evidence around you suggests. That is because your entire life, your ability to move hither and yon, and your total existence is wrapped up in the life-giving Spirit of God who has given you new life. The question to ask is not “why am I going through this,” but “how do I submit my feelings under Your truth?”
While that isn’t always an easy thing to do, just changing up the question allows your heart and mind to focus on something positive rather than the usual negative.
Take hold of His truth today: He never lets you go.