Isaiah 59:1-2 (NIV) Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear.
Have you ever felt like God was far away? I can remember times in my life where I would be really down in the dumps. I would pray, and pray, but for some reason it just felt like God could not hear me. For some reason, things did not feel the same. I have always felt a very strong presence of God in my life, sensing his spirit with me wherever I go. It took time for me to realize that the separation I was feeling was because of my own sin. Sometimes we overlook the sin in our lives and blame our feelings on depression, a broken heart, or stress. I have realized that we, as Christians, cannot blatantly live in sin and expect the same presence of God in our lives. God is ever present and it says in his word that he is the lily of the valley. That means that even in our lowest point, he is with us. But the word of God also says that our iniquities separate us from God. If you read the entire 59th chapter of Isaiah, it can come off a little harsh. But there is a lot of truth in that harshness. It is time for us to be real about seeking the face of the Lord. Let's get real about staying away from sin. Challenge yourself to rise to the level of greatness that is within you, so that you will not have to fight through separation from God. If someone or something in your life causes you to sin, you may want to consider cutting them out. Nothing is worth that separation and longing for the ear if the Lord.
