I know I’ve asked this question many times in my life, usually in a time of loneliness and despair but I’ve never asked it as much as I did the day my daughter, Aryanna, went to be with the Lord.

During that time my “God, are you there?” was more like a “God, are you there!!??”

In an instant, the God I thought I knew was foreign, distant and hidden from me.

I asked this question over and over and over again but my fault wasn’t in asking the question; it was not waiting on Him to respond.

Instead, I came to the conclusion that God had abandoned me, when in reality — I was the one who had abandoned Him.

Maybe you can relate to the feeling of being distant from God at times?

Maybe you’re in a season where it feels like He is hidden, distant or inaccessible?

God’s word is filled with promises of Him being near to those who love Him. He promises to “never leave or forsake us” (Deut 31:8) His word says “nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.” (Rom 8:35) But even still, how do we patiently pursue Him when we’re in a season of doubt or despair?

“I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.” Proverbs 8:17

The Lord taught me some valuable lessons during this rebellious and painful time in my life. Here are three things I learned on pursuing God during seasons of doubt and despair:

Lesson 1: Be intentional.

“Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭143:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

First and foremost, we must be intentional about searching for God everyday;  it should be an aforethought instead of an afterthought.

It should be premeditated, willful and planned – the first thing on our mind each day.

The Lord is revealed all around us, if we make a commitment to cast our eyes on Him we’re sure to get a glimpse of His greatness and traces of His fingerprints all around.

Let’s be real, when we’re going through difficult times we’re intentional alright — intentional about focusing on our problem; we’re intentional in worrying about our problem and we’re intentional about trying to fix our problem.

But what if, just what if we were intentional about uncovering a glimmer of God’s glory in each day?

Lesson 2: Be purposeful.

“Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart!” (Psalms‬ ‭119:2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Once we’ve committed to seeking God in each day, we have to ensure it’s purposeful.

Our pursuit should be full of meaning and significance — seek out His glory. His greatness. His love. His peace. 

When we are reminded of His omnipotence, He becomes near and our problems far removed.

Lesson 3: Be faithful.

“He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him.” ‭‭(Proverbs‬ ‭2:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

There may be days when we may not feel like seeking the Lord, or days where we feel distant from His presence. There may even be moments when we are too overwhelmed by our circumstances to praise Him; However, we must remain faithful and steady in our affection towards Him.

When we feel separated from the Lord it’s because we haven’t sought Him, we haven’t pursued Him and we haven’t focused all of our attention on Him.

When you find yourself asking, “God, are you there?” have comfort in knowing that nothing can separate us from His love. When we ask “God are you there?” His response is “I never left you.”

Stop & Reflect: Have you experienced these feelings of separation from God? Was this during a time you were pursuing him or pushing him aside? What lessons has he taught you during these moments?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on today’s post, feel free to share your heart in the comments below. 

Thank you for visiting, God bless

Anita Marie