Living By Faith In Christ by Joshua Fletcher

Week 48--November 28-December 4
Scripture Reading: Galatians 3-6; Ephesians 1-6; Philippians 1-4; Colossians 1-4; Proverbs 17-19

Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me. (NAS)

A little boy asked me a profound question yesterday. He said, “I know that Jesus lives in my heart, but is He still there when I can’t feel Him anymore?” This was a profound question for a four year old. It’s also a profound question for a forty year old!

My small theologian was wrestling with a problem that we all must wrestle. We are not always aware of God’s intimate presence in our lives, yet we are taught and believe that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 28:20). Despite many spiritual experiences with God’s empowering presence and the testimonies of His work that often follow, we still find ourselves doubting and yearning for more when we cease to feel Him stirring our soul. Some have called these dry spells of the spirit “spiritual droughts” or “desert pilgrimage” or even “Dark Nights of the Soul.” For my four year old friend it was just that he couldn’t feel God in his heart like he once did. Why can’t we feel Jesus’ presence all the time? What should we do when we lose a sense of His empowering presence?

My advice to the insightful child is the same advice I would give anyone in this wrestling match. Stop and listen. Lean into Jesus more. Read His Word. Talk to Him. Ruthlessly deal with any sin in your life. Lose yourself in Him and He will give Himself more fully to you. Be patient and increasingly expectant. Serve the poor for you will always find Christ in them if you look closely. Before you know it you will realize that His presence was always there with you. You just needed to nail to the Cross some part of your self that was clogging your spiritual senses.

I love Hosea 6:3 that reminds me of the surety of God, that His response to my seeking after Him is always a “Yes, hear I am.” I will leave you with this reminder and admonition from the Lord.

"So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth."

May we all know and press on to know Jesus, the one who will never leave us or forsake us!!

Joshua Fletcher is the Director of Adult Ministries at Crossroads Church.  Read his other articles on the WOW blog by putting his name in the search tool in the upper left of the blog above the title.