In every
relationship, there are ebbs, and there are flows. There are times when things
come easy. Motivation is high, and you are always on cloud nine. The same holds
true with the God of the universe. There are times when He feels so close, and
loving Him comes easy. But then there are times when motivation is low, and an
unsettling feeling of emptiness, brokenness, and doubt sets in. As I have
personally learned, the way we choose to respond to these feelings determines
the people we become. If we allow it to, emptiness and brokenness can lead us
to the deep, satisfying relationship we all need with the God of the ages. We
all have points of weakness, and the devil loves to attack us in these areas.
The devil knows our weaknesses and when he views us as a threat, he strikes
extremely harsh. As I heard before, "once you know your weaknesses, they
have no power over you." Knowing your weaknesses is a huge step, because
the fact that you know means that you can do something about it. You have the
power to rise up and fight, rejoicing in the fact that the Lord has already
overcome, and victory is promised (1 Corinthians 15:57) Now, although victory
is promised, it doesn't mean the battle is going to be easy. A battle is a
battle nonetheless. So when you feel as though your relationship with God is
experiencing an ebb (feelings of emptiness, loneliness, brokenness doubt,
confusion etc.) and you feel like seeking comfort in earthly things, view it as
a battle, and fight with all you have (2 Corinthians 12:9) Though the last
thing you may feel like doing is sitting in God's presence, marveling at his
splendor, and giving Him praise, that is exactly what you need to do. Anyone
can do something when it's easy; but it takes commitment to stick it out when
things get hard. These hard times that God gives us are meant to draw us back
to Him. It may seem like such a cruel thing to do- to create us with this one
empty space that only He can fill- but really it is a grand plan. God knew, in
our own selfish ways, we would long to control our own lives, and go about life
without seeking Him. That breaks Gods heart. He longs for us. He wants our
love. We put a smile on his face. But, He loves us so much He gave us the
opportunity to choose for ourselves. We don't have to choose to fill that empty
space with Him. In fact, we try to fill it with just about every other thing
under the sun (alcohol, sex, food, etc.) No, God doesn't force His way into
this spot. He simply gave us this spot with great hope that we would allow Him
to enter and dwell in it. He longs for that connection. Yes, just as we each
have a spot that only he can feel, He has special places that only each
individual can fill. He doesn't need our love, but he wants it and we have the
opportunity to decide our level of intimacy with Him. God never changes. He
never seeks or pursues us any less. His offer remains the same. He remains the
same. What changes is our hearts. Our level of openness, willingness, and
vulnerability changes. So offer Him your changing heart; whatever state it may
be in. If your heart is broken and empty, tell him. He wants to hear it from
you . He wants to hold your heart, he's just waiting for a green light. He
knows what you need; not just what you want, but what you need. Embrace the
ebbs and the flows that come along with life. Let your heart become fully
alive. When your heart aches, let it ache, acknowledge the emptiness and the
hurt; but then, bring it before God, and be filled with joy, because the joy of
the Lord is your strength. Joy and suffering, they go hand in hand. We wouldn't
know one without the other. Without suffering, we wouldn't ever have the hope
for joy. So let your suffering fuel your desire for joy. Embrace the emptiness
and let God fill it.
