Withdraw

Another interesting comment made by Bill Johnson on Bethel church’s weekly podcast – referring to the parable of the Talents (and Minas):

Once the master has given the money, the gifts, the talents to the servants, he withdraws. He leaves them to it (for a time). I’ve never really thought about that before. The parallel being alluded to is that God acts, God gives, but then He will leave us to our own devices. While yes, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you’ is true – He might be always present but for whatever reason chooses not to interject for a period of time – in order to see how we invest – and to leave us to make our decisions and live our life.

I’m sure like any father, He watches, He will step in to protect and rescue if necessary, but He also will trust us; trust the work and the design that He has put into us over the years, and He will step back and watch us.

Bill put it in the context of prophetic words and ministry – that often there will come some input after which there is a period of silence or apparent lack of the sense of His presence.

Interesting thought. God withdrawing.

There are always times where we feel God isn’t with us (which of course is why the famous ‘Footprints’ story exists in the first place); and this parable hints at that reality…