Topic: Can God hide himself from you?
Bible Reading: Hosea 5-8; Revelation 1.
Memory Verse: “They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.” Hosea 5:6 (KJV)
In 2 Samuel 28:3-7; the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight against Israel led by king Saul then. The king was afraid and he sought the face of God on what to do and God refused to answer him. He thereafter went to seek counsel from a woman with familiar spirit! It is noteworthy that this fight led to the death of Saul and his three sons! So he never had the opportunity of getting the mercy of God. Why? God had told Samuel in 1 Samuel 15:23 that He had rejected Saul as king because he rejected his Word!
God gives us long ropes to pull as his children but it gets to a stage after giving you several opportunities to repent and come back to Him and you refuse, He will turn His back on that person. I pray that God will prevent you from committing any sin that will cause Him to turn His back finally on you in Jesus name.
This is what happened to Ephraim lineage who had refused to stop their persistent idolatry, spiritual unfaithfulness and pride. Though they were still performing the religious rituals, their hearts were far from God. This is why God said in Hosea 5:6 (KJV), “They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.”
So God is not interested in your sacrifices as much as your heart. He needs you to serve Him with your total being and not just your substance. Remember, God owns everything and He gave you whatever you may have and so your sacrifice is important but it comes after giving yourself to Him. That’s why He told king Saul through prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 15:22 that obedience is better than sacrifice.
There have been testimonies of people who missed their opportunity of repentance by constantly postponing it till when they would have achieved some personal objectives and when they felt they were ready, God was no longer available for them. Remember the word of God in Isaiah 55:6 (KJV), “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:” Are you a true disciple of Jesus Christ? If not it is important and urgent that you repent of your sins now and ask God to forgive you while you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Thereafter, study the word of God regularly and get to know God more by your self.
Action Point: Seek God while he may be found, tomorrow may be too late!
Bro. Biodun Oyapero