Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

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Our text today is Hosea 7:13-15:

Woe to them, for they have strayed from me!
Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me!
I would redeem them,
but they speak lies against me.
They do not cry to me from the heart,
but they wail upon their beds;
for grain and wine they gash themselves;
they rebel against me.
Although I trained and strengthened their arms,
yet they devise evil against me. — Hosea 7:13-15

Why does God sometimes feel far away?

Well, you may not like the answer...

The issue was not that God had moved. Israel had. They wandered from the source of life, truth, and peace, then wondered why everything felt empty and unstable.

I hear believers say that God sometimes feels distant, silent, or absent. But often the issue is not God's absence. It is our drift. We get distracted, compromised, prayerless, proud, or numb. Then we feel the ache of distance and assume God caused it.

Yet even here, listen to the heart of God:

"I would redeem them…"

God was willing to rescue. Willing to restore. Willing to bring them back. His desire was mercy, not abandonment.

But here was the identifiable problem.

"They do not cry to me from the heart, but they wail upon their beds."

They were emotional, but did not surrender. They cried over their pain, but did not turn over their sin. They wanted relief, but did not repent. They wanted help, but not God.

There is a difference between wanting something from God and wanting God.

Then God says in verse 3, "Although I trained and strengthened their arms, yet they devise evil against me."

He had blessed, strengthened, and equipped them. They used His resources while rejecting His rule.

This is a warning for you and me. It is possible to enjoy God's blessings while ignoring God's voice. To use your strength, success, resources, or opportunities for yourself while living disconnected from God.

So what do you do when God feels far away? Start with getting honest with God. Here are some introspective questions you can ask yourself:

Have I drifted?
Have I stopped praying?
Have I wanted relief more than repentance?
Have I loved God's gifts more than God?

After you assess your heart, do not remain at a distance.

Return to Him. Cry out sincerely. Confess what is real. Seek Him again. Because many times when God feels far away, He has not moved. God is calling you back.

So if God feels far away today, the answer may be to turn around.

DO THIS:

Spend ten quiet minutes with God today and ask Him to show you where drift has entered your life. Respond honestly to whatever He reveals.

ASK THIS:

1. Why does God feel distant to me right now?
2. Have I wanted comfort more than repentance?
3. What would it look like to fully return to God today?

PRAY THIS:

God, if I have drifted from you, show me clearly. Draw me back, restore my heart, and teach me to seek you sincerely again. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"God Turn It Around"