Psalm 103 vs 12 is an important truth about God. This truth being that as far as the east is from the west, so far can God remove our sins from us. God loves humans. In Romans 8 vs 35, Apostle Paul asked the rhetorical question: who can separate us from the love of Christ? His words were directed at Christians. But, in basic terms, God’s love for humans as a whole is as high as the heavens are from the earth (see Psalm 103 vs 11).
So, if God loves as much as he says he does, why do some of us not feel it? And if nothing should be able to separate us from God’s love, why do some of us not feel God near us?
An important distinction to make at this point is that there are some things that separate us from God totally and some things that block our ability to experience him fully. Where there is separation, there is most likely sin and this is usually seen in those who do not have an active, personal, faith-based relationship with Jesus Christ. But in the case of an inability to connect, there could be many reasons of which the after-effects of separation by sin is just one.
Other separators from God include ignorance about who He is and how He works; hardness of the heart from years upon passed-down years of separation between ourselves and Him, and the internal and external pressures of our traditions and those of our families and communities.
Factors which can impact our ability to experience God fully include our mindset, the company we keep and common issues like worry and anxiety.
God is only as far away as whatever is separating us from Him. The Prophet Isaiah in chapter 59 vs 2 of his self-titled Bible book explained the effect of sin to his audience, saying “…your iniquities have been barriers between you and your God…” In Psalm 5 vs 4, the psalmist describes God even more explicitly, saying: “You are not the kind of God who is pleased with evil. Sinners can’t stay with you.” In James 4 vs 6, we are told by Jesus’ earthly half-brother: “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
For every single person in the world, God is two simple decisions away. The first decision is to make a yes choice to end the separation that exists between you and Him. The second decision is to act to give up the things that fuel the separation between you and Him and then to talk it out with Him.
Will you be bold enough to make those two simple decisions?
It is our hope that you will.
That Christian Next Door 