I am a friend of God!

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Those words which Jesus screamed in His agony on the Cross are precious words, despite the ugly context that tore them from His throat! Why? Because they let me know that my Lord and Savior understands the despair and sense of alienation that stalks each of us when we are separated from God. The grim facts are that sin entered the world. Sin separates us from God. All sin and therefore, all are orphaned from their Father. And yet, there remains a longing, often undefined, to know Him. We attempt to fill up that longing for God with many things - success, owning things, working for rewards and awards, sex - to name a few.

We search for significance in different ways attempting to make the statement- "I matter, I am a person of worth." But, none of our efforts brings lasting satisfaction. Why? Because the hole in our being is a God-shaped gap that only He can close! The only lasting satisfaction for our longing for purpose and place in this world is restoration of the relationship with God.

The Bible explains the concept like this- "When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. . . . God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God." (Romans 5:6-11, NLT)

There are dark days in our lives, even after we have come to faith, that cause us to wonder if God has forsaken us. Sickness, death, and disappointment come to saint and sinner alike. In those seasons we hear the whispers of doubt, the hiss of demonic tormenters, that say - 'Where is your God? Has He turned His back on you?' Then I remember Jesus' greatest agony, the alienation He felt as He was torn from His perfect relationship with God, the Father, as my sins were laid on Him. And I am able to pray that He will strengthen me, knowing that He has stood where I stand and that He will keep me in the hour of trial. "Since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16, NIV)

Do feel that God has forsaken you?
Apart from Jesus Christ, that is not just a feeling. It is a fact. Our sins have torn us from our Father! Look to Jesus. Believe that He has provided the full price for your forgiveness and, by faith, accept your place in God's great family!

If you are 'in Christ,' and you are feeling forsaken, ask the Spirit of God to work with you on an inventory of your life. Persistent disobedience to the will of God creates distance in our relationship. If you find that kind of willful rejection of God's will, turn to Him with open admission and "He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing." (1 John 1:9, The Message)

Know this, too. Sometimes our sense of being alone is just that - a feeling, not a reality. Fatigue and disappointment resulting from missed expectations give us a feeling that God has left us. But He is near! Stay steady, hold onto faith.

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
The righteous person faces many troubles,
but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.

For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous;
not one of them is broken!
Calamity will surely overtake the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
But the Lord will redeem those who serve him.
No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned." (Psalm 34:18-22, NLT)