Who's Feeling The Estrangement -

You Or God?

 

How painful is it when you are hurting so badly, and family and friends are nowhere to be found? Just when you need them the most, they seemingly reject and abandon you.

But how does God feel when His people refuse to become estranged from their lusts or have deserted Him for the idols of this world? 

Rejection never comes easy.

So who's being treated as the stranger - you or God?

 

How would you define the word "estrange" ?

 

Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary offers these definitions - "to remove from customary environment or associations, alienate, to arouse esp. mutual enmity or indifference in where there had been formerly love, affection, or friendliness." It also includes the following statement - "implies the development of indifference or hostility with consequent separation or divorcement."

 

From this information, we gather that a person who is feeling "estranged" experiences a change from a once friendly, caring, or loving environment to one of total indifference or hatred.

 

Because of Adam and Eve's sin in the Garden of Eden, we all know the feeling of being "estranged" from God. Psalm 58:3 describes the consequences of our original sin in this way - "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies."

 

When we came into this world, we were counted among the "wicked" - those who - were born sinners and sinned naturally, malignantly, and stubbornly...were alienated from God...had a propensity to evil... went astray early...wandered and erred from what is right...and were untruthful and deceitful from the very start in all of their statements, promises, and general character.

 

From earliest childhood, it became evident to all that we were alienated from God's Divine Life and its principles - for we manifested a contrary spirit and were governed by different principles other than righteousness. We were alien, strange, and hostile toward Him and His kingdom. He was a total stranger to us.

 

But what about the times when we are a total stranger to our own "brethren" or nearest kin?

 

Job 19:13 related Job's feelings of ostracism when it said - "He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me." Here he described the feelings of being avoided, forgotten, and abhorred by closest family or intimate friends. They stood aloof from his pain and suffering... passed him by as a total stranger...took no care about him...and left him to suffer alone. 

 

Can there be anything more painful in any society than to be rejected and abandoned by one's own family and friends - especially at a time of great need?

 

But consider this - As bad as it may seem to be alienated from family and closest friends in troublesome times, what must God feel when His church refuses to crucify their fleshly, worldly desires or becomes "estranged" to Him though their idols?

 

Psalm 78:30 describes a time when the children of Israel just wouldn't let go of their lust - "They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths." Their appetite was insatiable. They had enough to eat, but were not satisfied.

 

But isn't that the nature of lust?  Nothing ever brings fulfillment.

 

The more they indulged, the more they craved. When one desire or wish ran out, then they pursued another one - going from one iniquity unto another.

 

Ezekiel 14:5 describes a time when God's people deserted Him for their idols - "That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from Me through their idols." Their hearts became "estranged" from Him. Instead of loving Him supremely, they went after other creatures. They pretended love, but He knew better. They loved their idols more than Him.

 

Do you know the heart-wrenching feeling of being rejected and deserted by others?

 

Can there be a more painful experience than to have intimate friends and family members turn away from you with disgust when you are in dire need?

 

Oh! The pain of being ostracized - to have people whom you love and respect be "estranged" from you!

 

But what about God? Have you ever given it much thought as to how He feels when He sees His people clinging to various lusts or idols of this world?

 

Are you guilty of deserting Him? Is your heart - which was once filled with love, affection, and great joy for Him - now cold and indifferent?

 

Who's suffering most from this separation - you or Him?