Affliction, and Not Absence, Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

“I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.” (Ho 5:15 AV)

This is the LORD speaking of His relationship with Israel.  He is stating the obvious here.  When Israel went after other God’s, the presence of God left.  He did not cancel the covenant He made with Abraham, Isaac, and David.  That was still, and is still, in force.  What the LORD did was remove His presence from them until they were willing to acknowledge the fullness of their wickedness.  Note also that God allows or sends affliction equal to the offence that results in the saints of God seeking the face of God afresh.

As the saints of God, sometimes we can get used to the lack of the presence of God in our lives.  We get accustomed to a cursory presence.  He is there when and if we need Him.  But He is not close.  Whether from direct sin or simply a neglect of our relationship, the presence of God can wane.  It is at this time that the LORD reminds us of His presence by replacing His presence with affliction.

There were times when my father was not nearly as close to me as he could have been.  Particularly the years of 12 to about thirty.  Dad was replaced with friends, a wife, my own kids, etc.  He became distant.  But then there came times when My kids were growing apart from me and I missed my dad.  There were difficult times of trials or being overwhelmed by a major life decision that a phone call home was refreshing.  There were times in ministry that were particularly difficult and just to hear that mature male voice on the other end of the line brought comfort and security.  We need that strong voice in our lives even if we think we do not.  Affliction has a way of pushing us back into the presence of the One who is the only one who can be that voice.  If we have sensed God’s presence at a distance, and not as close as we know it should be, perhaps what we need is a little affliction so that we would humble ourselves into the presence of the One who is yearning for our heart!