Because God's thoughts are so much higher than our thoughts, and His ways so much higher than our ways, it can often be very difficult to understand His behaviour. It can be tempting to ask, for example, why doesn't He just show up?
The answer is more complex than the question, but one "simple" answer is that God's visibility affects the hope we have. As Paul tells us, "hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?"
My brethren, hope is a beautiful thing. How many of you have been desperate, only to hear that something may be about to change that? Hope is terrible when it is broken, but we do not serve a God who is unable to deliver on His promises. Our God doesn't give us false hope, but a hope that will be rewarded.
Furthermore, that hope spurs us on! "But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it... with perseverance." The beautiful hope we have been given changes how we respond to God! God, by remaining somewhat "distant" from us, ironically draws us closer to Him!
Ultimately, like a father in the driver's seat, God knows what He's doing, even when we, like a baby in the back, have no clue. In the end, He will not let us down. Therefore, let us eagerly cling to the hope we have, with the perseverance such hope was designed to bring.