Where is God? Why can’t I sense His presence? He is the Almighty, the Most High, so why can’t I hear Him? Surely a powerful God would make His presence known.
Maybe He’s been trying to talk to me all along, but I haven’t put my phone down.
Maybe He’s been revealing Himself, but I’ve been too busy with work.
Maybe God has always been there, I just haven’t been focusing on Him the way I should.
The truth is, distraction is everywhere. I’m a husband, a father, a leader, just a few of the many roles I fill. Every minute of my day, something is fighting for my attention. So how in the world do I hear and feel God above the noise of daily life?
I go into the wild.
For me, “the wild” might be a distant, empty beach few would visit, or a quiet patch of woods, or mountain trail with no cell reception. I love the outdoors. I enjoy hiking, fishing, kayaking, camping, but there’s something more to it. It’s not just about recreation. It’s where I meet God.
Now, full disclaimer: I know I can find God anywhere. He is always present, always working for His good. But when I intentionally step away from the hustle and bustle, the grind and the noise, that’s when I feel closest to Him.
My home is exactly how I intended it to be. My office is how my employer intended it to be. My car? Just how the manufacturer designed it. But outside, in the wild, everything is as God intended it to be.
The trees, the animals, the insects, the rivers, the sky, the wind, the smells, the silence… His handiwork is all around me. It’s hard not to notice Him there. And every time I do, I find myself saying in awe, “Can you believe God made all this?”
Who would have thought up the endless variety of flowers, each with its own scent and color? Or all the different animals, each playing a vital role in their ecosystem? Or that a specific arrangement of cells becomes a living, breathing creature? No human could do that. It all points back to our Creator.
It’s not just easier to see God in nature, it’s easier to hear Him too. It’s peaceful. There’s nothing fighting for my attention. It’s just me and Him.
I love what the late Phil Robertson wrote in The Theft of America’s Soul:
“Alone in the woods, it’s possible to go a whole day without sinning, nutty as that may sound. Walking alone in the fields and praying, watching the game running up and down the pig trails, it’s unlikely you’ll use the Lord’s name in vain or worship some other god. In the woods there is no one to steal from, no women to lust after. There’s no one to lie to either, and you can’t murder someone who is not around. Sin management in isolation is easy, see.”
I’ve found that to be true. In the wilderness, God centers me. He grounds me. He helps me strip away the chaos and remember why I’m here. It’s where I realign my heart with His will.
God knows what I need, but it’s up to me to slow down, tune in, and follow the path He has set before me.
Now the question is:
Will you go “Into the Wild” to find God?
