Saul was in a funk. You may know what that is, you've probably experienced one before. It's a time when things don't seem to be going right, the spirit within you is disturbed, the circumstances seem to be going against you, God seems to be distant, answers aren't forthcoming or easy, or quick enough. It's a personal darkness in the heart. And it's where Saul found himself.
He prayed, but never got an answer. The only thing he knew was that God turned away.
Interestingly, he never asked why...
...because he knew why!
I've heard this recently from someone else, that God wasn't speaking or making things clear. It's really quite simple, although difficult to accept. It's not that God isn't listening or even that God isn't speaking, rather God just may be saying something different than the ears or the heart wants to hear.
God turns away, until God hears the right thing from us.
I remember watching a teacher stand in front of a class (this has been many, many years ago) very quietly, almost staring, waiting. The class, paying little attention was abuzz with conversations, busyness, basic inattentiveness. But the teacher remained quiet, waiting for the awkward silence to creep throughout the room. It's interesting what silence can do.
She didn't yell, or scrape her nails against the chalkboard, she simply stood silent until she had our attention. She wasn't ignoring the class, rather was waiting on their appropriate response.
Saul was crying out, seeking the wrong things and God, not truly turning away, but simply stood, waiting, silent for a heartfelt response, that from Saul never came.
He's never far away. Nor is His eye ever shielded from our circumstance. But He may be silent...
...or saying something we don't want to hear...
...yet patiently waiting on our right response.
And the thing is, we know what God is waiting for, if we'll only admit it, confess it, and come humbly to God!
It's not God that's distant...
...it's us!
Peace ><>
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