Angry with God? Know that He is with you

We are angry with God when He disappoints us - He could have saved, prevented, provided but He did not. We thought He was not there when we needed Him most. But the Bible clearly tell us that whenever we are in trouble, He is there with us to be ready to deliver us. We need to see that and co-operate with Him. A simple act of co-operation is just to wait quietly and watch His deliverance. Our anger is really a triggering point for His presence with us. Don't let the devil instigate us to think He is not there. Cast your faith on Him because He is faithful.

We are at times angry with God because He could have and He did not. Such times as bereavement, bad accidents, lost of job, sickness, betrayals, failure, rejection, etc etc.

In the many places of the Bible where we find "God is with us" kind of verses, we also noted that those were times of great difficulty and challenges. Here is a mind-map that list those verses of God with us and the difficult situations.

Joseph was sold as a slave to an Egyptian master. Gen 39:2 recorded specifically that at such at time, God was with Joseph and Joseph became a successful man, taking charge of his master total business. In Gen 39:23, this time Joseph was in prison though falsely accused. Joseph should be most angry with God because he was not only innocence but because he acted righteously according to God's laws and for God! Nevertheless, Joseph held on to God and trusting Him to deliver him. It took years. But in the meantime, God was with Joseph and Joseph, though still in prison, took charge of the affairs of the prison! Ishmael was a boy struggling with his mother in the wilderness.

Gen 21:20 recorded for us that God was with the boy and the boy grew up to be a somebody.

When the young man Joshua took over the leadership from Moses to lead the more than two millions of people, Jos 3:7 assured Joshua that God would be with him as He was with Moses.

When the Jews were in exiles in Babylon, God sent His words that He was with them in Isa 41:10. God assured them that He would bring them through water and fire without harm.

Paul assured us in Rom 8:28-37 that nothing bad that happened to us was beyond God's love for us. God will be with us through the troubles victoriously as more than conquerors.

Peter assured us that if we ever suffered for righteousness sake, such as Joseph, we will be blessed and we needed to fear not. Any suffering because of Christ is blessed because the Spirit and the glory of God rests upon us, 1Pet 3:17, 4:14.

In John 16:33, Jesus assured us that His presence in us gave us peace. He had overcome the tribulations of this world.

The pattern is very clear :

Troubles -> Presence of God -> Deliverance -> Glory to God

Our anger is really a triggering point for His presence with us. May we come to God even in our anger to pour our heartaches, frustrations and bitterness to Him. Know that He is there to listen to us. Know that He is able to take us through our troubles and enable us to stay with it and come out of it victoriously. But the key for all these to work is to trust and co-operate with Him. Our co-operation with God may just be simply abandoning ourselves to Him and just keep quiet and watch His deliverance. He may also give us the peace, give us the guidance, send forth His people to help and guide us. Whatever, put our trust in God and may His peace, even beyond our understanding, keep us focus on Jesus our Savior and Deliverer.

Don't let the devil instigate us to think He is not there. Cast your faith on Him because He is faithful.

Lim Liat (C) 10 Oct 12