When
Trials Come
Sometimes God calms the storm, at other
times, He calms the sailor, and sometimes He makes us swim. ~Anonymous
Have you ever gotten angry at God over a
trial you are suffering? This is where I
have a misconception of who God really is.
When we face suffering and trials many times
we blame God. We do that because in our
hearts we know that God can do anything, even save us from suffering but there
are times when he makes us swim on our own. I often forget who God really is and what He
can do because I am so focused on getting out of the suffering and trials.
I forget that God is the Creator of all
things and that he knows exactly what I am thinking at all times. So I put on a brave face just as we often do
with people here on earth. The irony is
people are not God. They can’t read our
minds and know that we are angry or suffering.
So we place the same human attributes on an omnipotent God. I often don’t realize that is what I am
doing. In my doubt my mind tells me that
no one can save me from my suffering. Then
I become angry with God but I don’t express that anger to Him. I forget that He already knows I am angry
with Him. He doesn’t need me to tell Him
that, but He does want a closer relationship with me and that only comes with confiding
to Him my sorrow and pain.
There are numerous examples in the Bible of
humans becoming angry at God and questioning why He allows them to suffer. We see this happen with Job where he laments
the day he was born and painfully asks God why He is allowing his suffering. Paul complained to God about an unnamed
trial. He pleaded with God to remove it
but God refused. Then there is Jesus who
suffered and knew that the suffering wouldn’t end until his death on the
cross. He turned to God in the Garden of
Gethsemane and asked God to take this cup of suffering from him. (Mark 14:36) Then while hanging on the cross
he cries out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!” (Matthew 27:46)
If we become angry at God and never address
it with Him through prayer we will remain angry at Him. This is not the relationship He wants with
us.
Prayer for the Day:
Heavenly Father, when suffering and pain are in my life I often try to put on a
brave face and offer up token prayers that really don’t help my relationship
with You. Help me to remember that You
know everything I am feeling and thinking.
It is not necessary for me to tell You about my pain, but it strengthens
my relationship with you when I pour it all out at Your feet. You may not remove my suffering but you are
always there for me to cling to in the midst of my sorrow.
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