Does God 'withdraw' to build our spiritual perception?

The Midge · Dec 16, 2003

In reply to another post I began to realise this about Spiritual Perception:

http://www.christianforums.com/t75362&page=2

I doubt that there are any that are 100% spiritually blind, that is incapable of perceiving anything that is supernatural. God, in His grace, allows for this and only expects that we respond in whatever way we are able. It is more like living their existence in a darkened room with no light. The slimily of being in darkness is frequently used by the authors of the Bible. Of course I understand that they may have no understanding of sight until something from the spiritual realm breaks in to their room and lets the light in. Please be patient with us Christians as we try to bring the light without dazzling you with the glare or burning you with the fire brand. We mean no harm and most of us can remember what it was like when we were in the same position. If some have less spiritual perception than others it can be hard to understand they cannot sense in the same way we do. We have nothing to be proud about comparing better perception with one who has less. Indeed, the task is on those who can see to make provision for those with a disability such as blindness. The very fact that we all lack spiritual perception to some degree means that we are incapable of seeing the full picture and being objective.

When I was at college we were given a project to design a garden for the visually impaired. We were given glasses that affected sight in various ways and simulated cataracts, tunnel vision, colour blindness and other conditions. We then went out into the college grounds a spent an afternoon tripping, fumbling and bumping our way around the grounds. The idea was to give us an experience of what it is like to have poor sight so that we would design and build a better garden and consider the needs of those who are less able. In writing this post I have come to realise that Christians take our insights for granted and can be insensitive to others at times. We need to admit to ourselves that our spiritual perception is less than perfect. Indeed, God himself simulates what impaired spiritual perception it is like for others by withdrawing from us at times (lest we forget that we were dead and senseless to God at once). This aids our understanding and encourages us to seek after God with greater effort. The classical spiritual authors and founders of the church took the disciplines of seeking after God far more seriously than is typical in our age. I suspect that if we were to take the same amount of trouble we would be far more alive and the miraculous more common.

Has anyone else had experience of God seeming to withdraw and would you agree that one explanation for God seeing far away that he is reminding us of our former (that is pre-Christian) condition so that we may better understand those who do not know God?

Amy · Dec 16, 2003

I don't know for what reason, but God has gone A.W.O.L. in my case, for sure. Won't answer my prayers, won't return my phone calls, all I hear is the stupid answering machine...

endure · Dec 16, 2003

uhhm sure he does.
the bible says in isaiah 50 that even a Godly man who fears the Lord and serves the men of God can walk in darkness.
david testified that he had to go through valleys of the shadow of death.

job cried out and said he sought for God and could not find him.

for whatever reason, yes God does withdraw himself in a sense at times, and im sure the reason is to change us in someway.

but no i dont think ive ever experienced this.

McCravey · Dec 17, 2003

My wife and I both had an interesting experience of comprehending God that we only shared with each other days after each event happened. These two seperate events changed our concept of God and helped me make it through those periods of withdrawal.

I was washing my hands in the downstairs bathroom and I looked into the mirror in front of me as I have done hundreds of times before.

As I looked into my eyes I saw a different person looking back at me.

It was my face with my eyes but a different look and expression on the face.

The eyes were kind but strong. I was a little embarrased by the experience and grinned sheepishly. The face and eyes continued to look firmly into mine. ( I later discovered that Creed wrote about a similar experience in a song )

I walked away and pondered on what had happened.

I came to realize that God was showing himself in me.

That experience gave me great confidence in dealing with him and has uplifted me many times since then.

I spoke with my wife about it a few days later and she had the same experience seperate from mine but was also afraid to tell me about it.

We both have wondered since then that when God begins to teach us and talk to us if you don't seem to go a little crazy at times.

Does God 'withdraw' to build our spiritual perception?

The Midge

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Amy

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endure

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McCravey

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Does God 'withdraw' to build our spiritual perception?

The Midge

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