It was a day where I desperately needed to hear from God. I had been reading my Bible. I had been praying. And I had been worshipping. But I felt far from God, and I did not understand why. I was in a near panic because I was speaking at a retreat in a few weeks, and I NEEDED GOD’S HELP to write my message and then deliver it. This was not a good time for God to seem so far away.  I wondered, “God, where are you?”

There are many times when God seems distant. He definitely feels distant when we have done something wrong and we are ashamed of our sin. Just like Eve in the garden of Eden, we hide from God when we have fallen into temptation and done wrong.  Also, there are times when we are doing everything right, but it feels like our prayers are hitting a glass ceiling. And then there are other times when it feels like our life is crumbling around us, and we ask in bewilderment, “God, where are you?”

I arrived at church needing to hear from God, to have an explanation of His distance.  In desperation, I got on my knees and poured my heart about before Him. I repented of everything I could think of, I asked forgiveness for any sin, and I asked Holy Spirit to fill me up. And I asked God why He was so far from me and why I felt so alone.  God, where are you?

Then I heard Jesus whisper in my ear, “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

What was Jesus saying to me? First of all, He was affirming what He said in the gospels, that He was my friend.

Jesus was my friend.  He was telling me that He was close to me. In fact, He was closer to me than my own blood relations.

As I pondered this, I had a light bulb moment. How could Jesus be that close to me? The answer is that He lives inside of me. He sent His Holy Spirit to live in us, and Holy Spirit doesn’t take a vacation. He sticks with us through thick and thin, through struggle and trial, through distraction and temptation, through sin and holiness.  Jesus even prays for us. 

The Holy Spirit is an indelible, permanent resident in us.

I have a great circle of friends, but I admit, there are times when I feel lonely.  Friends don’t “do things” together like they used to.  My phone doesn’t ring.  And it seems like if I want to talk with my friends, I’m the one texting them.  I’m the one doing most of the work.  Sometimes I feel lonely and like no one cares.

But even when the doorbell doesn’t sound, the landline doesn’t ring, and my cell phone doesn’t ding with text message notifications, Jesus is there with me.  He said that He would NEVER leave me or forsake me.

and that He was with me ALWAYS.

Even when I feel alone.

I’m not alone.

And you aren’t either.  When you feel far from God, or even far from your friends, and like no one cares, remind yourself that Jesus, your friend, sticks close to you through it all.  You are never, ever alone.

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