Scripture Study
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? – Psalm 13:1
Have you ever been frustrated with God?
I admit I have been there. I wake up, start my day in God’s Word, pray, and feel like I am ready to take on the day—and then bam, one thing after another hits. Some days by lunchtime I am ready to climb back into bed and start over tomorrow. I keep going, only to get hit with more unexpected challenges.
Yesterday was one of those days. To finish the day off, I wanted to ride our bike trainer, but I couldn’t get the computer to work. It is an old computer so it is slow to begin with, and it decided to keep messing up. I was determined to get it done since I needed something to take my mind off things, but in the end, all I did was waste an hour and a half.
Although, according to my son, Alex, I didn’t waste my time—I exercised my patience. I guess that is one way of looking at it.
What Do We Do with Our Frustration?
As I sat there reflecting on my day, figuring out where I went wrong and what was just out of my control, I asked myself: What do we do with our frustration?
I certainly had a part in some of the things, but other things were brought on by the actions and sin of others as well.
When I looked up men in the Bible who were frustrated with God, there were actually far more examples than I expected:
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Moses (Numbers 11:11): “Moses said to the Lord, ‘Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me?'”
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David (Psalm 13:1-2): “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?”
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Job (Job 30:20): “I cry to you for help and you do not answer me; I stand, and you only look at me.”
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Elijah (1 Kings 19:4): “But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.'”
God Doesn’t Turn Away
The first thing that stands out to me is that these were some of the greatest men of God in Scripture. Then, as I looked a little closer, I noticed something else: God didn’t turn His back on them because of their frustration.
He dealt with each of them in the exact way they needed, helping them get through it. Ultimately, God turned their struggles around and used those moments to bring them closer to Himself.
Frustration with God doesn’t mean you’ve lost your faith. Sometimes it simply means you’re struggling to understand what He is doing in the moment. That is okay, as long as your frustration drives you toward God rather than away from Him.
God isn’t afraid of our frustration—He wants us to bring it straight to Him.
When you’re frustrated with God, do you run from Him, or do you run to Him?
Have a great day in Christ,
Matt
