What if God turned His back on you?

What if God turned His back on you?

That is a sobering thought for sure. Could a God who is so loving turn His back on His own children? But all throughout scripture we see God turning His people over to their enemies, selling them off to their own desires, turning His ear away from them because of their unfaithfulness to Him. In the book of Judges we see a repeated cycle occurring again and again. The people turned their backs on God – Apostasy. God then handed them over to their enemies and they were in Bondage. They Cried out to God. He heard them and sent a Deliverer.

We read in 2 Kings 24:2 that the LORD sent the enemies of Israel to them to destroy them. In verse 4 we read “the LORD was not willing to forgive them.” God’s chosen people had drifted so far away from Him. They worshiped the gods of their enemies instead of looking to the God who delivered them. God judged them because they were not faithful to Him

We can move on to Isaiah 1. God talks of a people who have turned their backs on Him. He compares their unfaithfulness and godlessness to that of Sodom and Gomorrah. Their sacrifices of worship and their offerings meant nothing to Him. In Isaiah 1:15 God declares “Whey you spread out your hands in prayer; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen.” They had gone too far. God would not even hear their prayers. Because of their unfaithfulness, God turned from them.

One more example we find in Hosea 4. God cries out in verse 1-2, “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying, and murder, stealing, and adultery.” In Hosea 4:6 God declares “my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” The people were in such a bad condition because they lacked the knowledge of God’s Word and Will in their lives. God declares that He will punish them for their lack of knowledge. God is bringing judgment on them because they do not know Him or the value His Word.

Moving on to the New Testament, we read in Romans 1:18-32 how God poured out His anger on his people because of their wicked behavior. They “exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images”.(23) “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator.”(25) Several times we read that “God gave them over…” The people became obsessed with sexual immorality and abandoned purity. Men were having “unnatural relations” with other men. And women were “inflamed with lust for one another.” Because of this, God “turns them over” to the depraved (reprobate) mind. These individuals knew God’s righteousness but chose to live involved in this lifestyle. They would receive the due penalty for their perversion.

Reading the accounts of the Old and New Testaments on how God dealt with His people turning their backs on Him, living for themselves, satisfying the needs of the flesh instead of seeking God, concerns me greatly. This could be written about the condition of the church today. God is not talking about pagans here. He is talking about His church, the Israelites, His Chosen People. They are the ones who turned to other gods and threw themselves into all kinds of sexual perversions.

God does not want to punish His people but He must. He is a just God. He wants everyone to come to repentance. He does not want anyone to perish. (2 Peter 3:9) And so He does provide a way. Isaiah 1:18 God tells them, “Come let us reason together. Though your sins are like scarlet they shall be white as snow, though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land but if you resist and rebel you will be devoured by the sword.” There is still a hope. God provides a way. Hosea writes in Hosea 6:1 “Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but He will heal us, He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds.” God does offer redemption if we repent, put away evil, and strive to do what is right (Isaiah 1:16-19).

We have a God who believes in giving second chances to His children. That is why Jesus came. He did not come to condemn the world, but to see that people have a way to be saved. (John 3:17).

Our nation continues to be on a slippery slope, heading further and further away from God. I recently read a quote by Billy Graham “To get nations back on their feet, we must first get down on our knees.” This is so true.

Some may have turned their backs on God. Others may feel God has turned His back on them. Does God have a reason for not hearing your prayers? This is a question we must ask ourselves. It is time for this nation to turn back to God, to return to the Godly roots of our forefathers. It all starts with us as individuals. Is His Word a paramount in our lives? Do we have a knowledge of God’s Word? Does it guide our lives? Are we involved in sexual activities that are keeping us from God? Are we truly working for Jehovah God, or for other gods? We must examine ourselves. We must repent. We must turn to God so He will turn back to us.