“Am I only a God nearby,” declares the Lord, “and not a God far away?”
Jeremiah 23:23 NIV
In the chapter twenty-three of Jeremiah, we read of God’s solemn denunciation of the lying prophets, both of Israel and of Jerusalem. These false prophets not only misled the people, but they also gave them false hopes. Likewise in our world today, many false prophets have gone out feeding God’s people with messages from the kingdom of hell. “Among the prophets of Samaria I saw this repulsive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray. And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something horrible: They commit adultery and live a lie. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that not one of them turns from their wickedness. They are all like Sodom to me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.” (v13-14 NIV)
This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They keep saying to those who despise me, ‘The Lord says: You will have peace.’ And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, ‘No harm will come to you.’ But which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word?
Jeremiah 23:16-18 NIV
The truth is that these false prophets are far away from God. They have lost their place in God’s presence; they are lost in their sins and wickedness. They are blind guides, therefore, both they and their followers will fall into the ditch unless they repent. So, God is here confronting us with this critical issue, and we must pay a careful attention to it. God desires to have fellowship with us, He is omnipresent, and He wants everyone to enjoy His nearness. However, unlike the teaching of the false prophets, our relationship with God does not remain the same when we turn back into sin. Indeed, we cannot continue in sin so that grace may abound (Romans 6:1). Similarly, we cannot expect God to be closer while we wine and dine in sin, as it is in this context.
Bridge the Distance: Drawing Near to God’s Proximity after Straying into Sin
Remember the prodigal son in Luke 15, no one was responsible for his separation from his father. He was with the when he asked for his share (pray). But not long after his request was granted (his prayer answered) he left the father’s presence for a distant country. Little did he knew that he was on his way into slavery. He rejected the rulership of his father, and become of a slave to sin. He had experienced and enjoyed close fellowship with his father, but because of his action, he also experienced a father who is far away. If I may ask you, where are you? What situation have you gotten yourself into that as the word of God is calling out to you to trust in Him, it is seeming difficult; perhaps impossible? Are you experiencing the feeling of been far away from God?
BEHOLD, THE Lord’s hand is not shortened at all, that it cannot save, nor His ear dull with deafness, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.
Isaiah 59:1-2 AMPC
The good news, however, is that God is not keeping distance from you. You on the other hand, might have gone far from home, and you only need to trace your way back to Him. No matter how long you might have gone, God is right there to save you. You need to turn to Him in faith; trusting Him wholeheartedly, and as you pour out your heart to Him in prayer, you can be sure that He would gladly welcome you back. In fact, God, like the father in Luke 15, is always on the watch, waiting for your return.
So, why the wait? How long will you keep yourself away? The Lord is waiting for you, with His arms wide open to receive you back to Himself.
