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"Perception: God is absent. Reality: he's right there all along."

A thought by Steven Furtick from his book, Seven-Mile Miracle: Journey into the Presence of God Through the Last Words of Jesus (p. 91). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Maybe you need to be reminded of that fact today.

Steven says, “Let me repeat that: If you are a child of God, then no matter how abandoned or lonely you may feel, God has been with you and he’s with you right now.

“You see, when we come to God, we come through the way that Jesus has already made. We come through the way of the cross. We don’t have to sweat drops of blood in a garden; he’s already sweat those drops for us. We don’t have to feel spikes going through our feet and hands because he’s already endured that pain. And we don’t have to be separated from God either. Not now. Not ever.

“Jesus experienced abandonment from his Father so that we never have to. Because he was forsaken, we never have to be.”

Steven goes on, “We come to God in salvation, and it’s almost like we think, That felt too easy. We think we should have to earn it. We feel like we ought to keep some rules. But that’s not the way it works. Jesus took God’s punishment on himself so that we wouldn’t have to. There’s nothing we can add to what he’s done.

“You may feel forsaken, but you’re never forsaken. You and I can never truthfully cry what Jesus cried: ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ Because that same Jesus who was forsaken says to us, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ (Hebrews 13:5)”

Steven then says, “There’s something else I want to say about this: even the appearance of being separated from God is only for a moment, if you look at the big picture.”

Would you right now stop and focus on the fact that Jesus will never leave you and he won’t forsake you?  Would you do that right now?


Yes, yes?
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