Isaiah 59:1-2

"Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden {His} face from you so that He does not hear."

At this time, the people of Israel were blessed by God and had enjoyed much prosperity and protection by God's hands. However, they became lazy in their relationship with God and eventually their faith became nothing more than an outward show. While they still went to the temple and offered sacrifices and worshiped God, inwardly their hearts were far from God. This meant they were not seeking God's will, nor His face. Because of this, their lives became harder and God's hand was slowly being removed from their lives. God did not do this without warning. He constantly confronted them through the prophets and His Word to return to Him, warning them of dire consequences if they didn't. His love for them never changed, but His ability to bless them did. When we walk in a relationship with God, seeking His direction and desires for us, we are able to receive the blessings He desires to give us. When we walk in our own will, seeking only to get what we want and neglecting our relationship with the Lord, He cannot bless us as He wants. Eventually, we will walk into a place where God even has to allow our disobedience to bring about painful consequences. We don't have to experience this though! If we will remain close to the Lord and seek His will, we will have trials, but God will protect us and empower us to make it through them. Best of all, we will be in the place where we will receive every blessing and gift that He has lovingly prepared for us. Don't let your blessings be wasted! Walk close to God every day!