The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters; He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. — Psalm 23:1-4
We talked about how sin slithers onto your plate slowly, and how to cultivate attitudes of repentance and gratitude.
Today we are talking about anger and disappointment. You may be filling your plate with things of this world because you are angry with God, or disappointed in Him, and you do not trust Him. You look to other people or things to help you and end up with a conglomeration of things that just leave you unsatisfied.
Have you ever been angry with God? Maybe you were in a dark valley and did not feel His presence. Maybe you blame Him for what happened. Maybe something tragic happened and you feel God should have stopped it. Even worse, maybe someone said, “What did you do to get God mad at you?”
Have you ever been disappointed in God? You look at your life and wonder why He has not given you things you asked for, or you have prayed about a situation and nothing has changed, and you question whether God is really almighty after all.
Theologically, we believe God is not the author of evil and does not target us for tragedy. Because we live in a sinful world, people sometimes hurt us, the enemy tries to steal from us, and sometimes bad things happen because we live in the time of the Fall of humankind and our world is imperfect.
But when you are angry or disappointed, that explanation does not help. If you are in this situation, you may have stopped talking to God. I encourage you to tell Him what is on your mind. Read the psalms. Some of them are filled with frustration and anger, but even in their rage, the psalmists end by knowing God loves them. The same is true here. God did not cause your pain. But He does want to heal it.
To Think/Pray About Today
Are you angry with or disappointed in God? What happened in your life to bring you to this place? Tell Him. He can take it. Pour out your thoughts and feelings to Him. Even if you do not feel His love, He does love you unconditionally.
Prayer Focus: The Garage In Cedarville
Cedarville United Presbyterian Church 