If God seems far away, who moved?

Article for Wednesday March 11, 2026

Leviticus 26:40–41a 40“But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers in their treachery that they committed against me, and also in walking contrary to me, 41so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies—

Some wonder if there is a God.  Some wonder if there is a God that left us.  Many think that God does not care, and if there is a God why does He let us suffer or allow bad things to happen.  Of course, these people don’t read and study God’s word.  And some churches abandon the Old Testament which eliminates God’s reasoning.  And some churches have abandoned the whole Bible as fiction and nice stories which eliminates both law and gospel.

Those of us who have been studying the Holy Bible, realize that it is not God who has turned His back on us but that we turn our back on Him.  From the first five books of the Bible, (the Pentateuch). From the time Isreal was a splintered country, in the days of the Judges.  From the time Israel decided to have kings, most of which were sinful and corrupt.   And through the time God sent Prophets among the Israelites, as they spent years in captivity.  Israel turned their backs on the one who gave them everything they had and therefore by turning their backs on God they lost everything they had.   

It is not that God allows things to happen as it is made our fault because we turn our backs on God.  Of course, many want a God to follow them around with a broom and dustpan to clean up the mess we make of ourselves, but that is not God.  In truth, when we turn our backs on God, He assumes, and is not far off, that we do not want Him, so He leaves us on our own.  And darn it all, you want to blame God because it is easier than blaming ourselves.

Leviticus 26:41b–42 if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity, 42then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.

Rather than blame everything in your life on God or anyone else for that matter, maybe you should look in the mirror of God’s law.  You will see who is to blame, yourself.  We abandon God to please our sinful desires and then wonder why God abandoned us.  Truth is God never really abandons us; He just waits for us to come to our senses.

When we come to our senses God is right there with open arms to welcome us back in.  So, hang up your pride, humble yourself, and move apologetically towards the one who offers you true salvation.   God is always there to welcome you back no matter how many times you turn away.  However, the more you turn away the better the chance that you might not turn back in time.  Better to stay repented up.

1 John 1:5–7 5This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Our sin puts us in darkness, and this is not the doings of God but the sinful desires that we allow to get in the way from seeing the light of our Lord.  Jesus is the light that shows us a better and safer path. If we continue in the dark, we may stumble and fall as sin becomes an obstacle that we cannot see.  The world wants you to walk in darkness so it can “thrive” on your stumbling.

In the dark you do not know if you are surrounded by your true friends or the enemy that looks for a chance to swallow you up.  In the light we can see clearly and know if we are surrounded by our friends, and if not, see the means to escape our enemy.  When we walk in the light we love our neighbor. And when we walk in the light of Jesus, we are washed clean by His blood and our darkness recedes and becomes nothing.

1 John 1:8–10 8If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Repentance starts with confession of sin and confession of faith.  We confess that our Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross taking our sins with Him that He has defeated sin and death.  Jesus did this for us and for our salvation.  We also confess that our Lord Jesus Christ was resurrected for our sake that we know that He will also resurrect us on that last day.  Jesus Christ died and rose again to show us that He loves us to life.  Amen.

Written by Pastor Curtis A. May