Disappointed in God

 

“Rise up; come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!”

Psalm 44:26 ESV 

Many times, as believers, we are disappointed in God. We feel let down by him. And we feel that we’ve been rejected by him.

Throughout the course of our lives, we’ve heard how God has acted on behalf of his people. We’ve learned in Sunday School how God saved his people from slavery in Egypt, bringing them into the Promised Land. We’ve learned through sermons how God has acted in miraculous ways for the sake of his people. We’ve learned in Bible studies how God has intervened in situations that seemed hopeless. And we’ve learned through our own personal Bible reading how, in Jesus, God has both provided and promised his blessing.

This, then, has led us to trust in him. It’s led us to offer to him our prayers. And it’s led us to depend upon him.

However, as we go through life, God often seems absent. As we offer our prayers and requests, he remains silent. And as we experience trials and tribulations, he offers no relief.

What are we to do in times like this? What are we to do when God seems absent? What are we to do when he seems silent? And what are we to do when he seems to offer no help?

Looking at Psalm 44, a similar set of circumstances are described for us. The author expresses, first of all, how the people had heard from their fathers the deeds the Lord had performed in the days of old. And he expresses his faith in the Lord, who acted in these ways.

But then, in verse 9, his tone changes. In fact, it sounds accusatory. He seems to suggest that, although the people had not forgotten him, God had rejected and disgraced them. Although their heart had not turned back nor had they ceased to walk in his ways, he’d caused them to be taunted and reviled.

He, then, calls upon God to awake. He asks why God is hiding his face from them. And he expresses the state of humiliation in which they found themselves.

As we read these words, I’m sure that we can relate to his feelings. We can relate to his circumstances. And we can relate to his complaint.

But, at the end of this Psalm, in the verse seen above, we find that he does not lose hope. We find that he does not turn from the Lord. He, instead, cries out to him once again.

And this, you see, is what we must do when we feel that God has let us down. This is what we must do when we feel that he’s turned is back on us. We must cry out to him once again, trusting in his steadfast love.

As the apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

 

Responding to Evil

 “Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

(Psalm 37:1-4 ESV)

There’s no doubt that we’re living in an evil time. There’s no doubt that we’re living in a wicked society. And it’s needless to say that this can leave us rattled. So, what are we to do in the face of this?

Our tendency is to respond in one of two ways. Quite often, we fret because of evildoers. We’re agitated by them. We’re angered by them and their actions.

Other times, however, we’re envious of them. We’re envious of the life they live. We’re envious of the perceived freedom in which they live. We’re envious, quite frankly, of the sin in which they live.

However, as we see in the passage above, neither response is correct. Neither is appropriate. Neither is appropriate because the wicked will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Neither is appropriate because they will soon perish.

We’re called, instead, to trust in the Lord. We’re called to do good.  We’re called to dwell in the land and to befriend, or to cultivate, faithfulness. And we’re called to delight ourselves in the Lord.

In the face of evildoers, then, we’re called to faith. We’re called to a genuine, heartfelt faith that expresses itself in our life. And we’re called to do so joyfully.

As we do so, we’re promised that God will give to us the desires of our heart. He’ll give to us those things that we request of him. He’ll give to us the things for which we pray.

This doesn’t mean, of course, that God will grant us our every selfish desire. Nor does it mean that he’ll fulfill our sinful desires. As believers, after all, our heart is conformed to that of God.

We’re made to desire what God desires. We’re made to long for the things for which God longs. And it’s these blessings that will be granted us.

We see this, in verse 6, where we’re told that, as we commit ourselves to the Lord, and as we trust in him, he’ll bring forth our righteousness as the light and our justice, or our vindication, as the noonday. 

We’re reminded by this that our righteousness is not something that we earn or deserve. It’s a gift of God. It’s a blessing that he provides to us.

The same is true of our justice. The same is true of our vindication. It’s a blessing as God clears us from all blame.

This, of course, is the blessing provided to us by Jesus. It’s the blessing provided to us by his death on the cross and his resurrection from the grave. And, as this passage makes clear, it’s a blessing that’s received by faith.

So, again, in the face of evildoers, we’re called to trust in the Lord. And we’re called to a genuine faith that’s expressed in our life. We’re called to delight in the Lord, knowing that he will provide for us his eternal blessing.

Envying the World

 “Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you shall eat. You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the LORD who is among you and have wept before him, saying, “Why did we come out of Egypt?””

 (Numbers 11:18–20 ESV)

As Christians, we often feel that we’re missing out. We look at the world around us, and at what they have, and feel that we’re being shorted. We look at the lives they’re living, and feel that we’re being deprived. We feel that, as we live for the Lord, we’re receiving the short end of the stick.

We fail to realize, however, that by these desires, we’re rejecting the Lord. We fail to realize that, by these desires, we’re rejecting his salvation. And we fail to realize that, by these desires, we’re rejecting the blessing he’s given us.

We see this clearly in the above passage. As the people traveled through the wilderness, on their way to the Promised Land, God had miraculously provided for their need. He’d miraculously provided food for them to eat.

He’d given them manna. And he’d done so not only once. He’d done so each and every day.

He’d given to them this bread that simply appeared on the ground each morning. All they had to do was go out and gather enough for the day. And they did so in confidence that more would be available to them tomorrow.

The people, however, got sick of it. They began to long for the meat they’d eaten as slaves in Egypt. And they began to think that life was better in Egypt than it was for them in the present.

God then said that he’d provide meat for them to eat. He would not do so, however, as a blessing. In fact, it would be a curse to them.

He would give them meat for not only one day, two days, five days, ten days, or twenty days. He would give it to them for a whole month. He would give it to them until it came out of their nostrils and became loathsome to them. 

He would do so, he said, because they had rejected the Lord who was among them. He would do so because they had wept before him. He would do so because they asked why they’d come out of Egypt.

In the same way, by looking at the world around us and desiring what they have, we reject the Lord who is among us. By our failure to be content with the blessing God has given us, we reject the Lord who is among us. And by thinking to ourselves that perhaps it would’ve been better had we not followed God, we reject the Lord who is among us.

This, of course, is something of which we’re all guilty. And it’s something we each need to confess. It’s something we need to confess, trusting in the salvation provided for us by Jesus.

By his grace, we’ll realize that his blessings are far greater than anything the world has to offer. By his grace, we’ll realize that we’re not missing out on anything. And by his grace, we’ll be content and, more than that, filled with awe and wonder at all that God has provided.

Forgiving Others

 “And Moses cried to the LORD, “O God, please heal her—please.””

(Numbers 12:13 ESV)

As Christians, we know we’re called to forgive those who’ve wronged us. We know we’re called to forgive those who have sinned against us. We know we’re called to offer them the same forgiveness that God has offered us.

However, that being said, this is something with which we struggle. It rarely comes easy to us. And this is especially true when someone has intentionally and willfully acted against us.

This is what took place in Numbers 12. We see that Miriam and Aaron, Moses’ sister and brother, spoke against him. And they spoke against him because he had married a Cushite woman.

The fact that he’d done so led them to believe that he was nothing special. It led them to believe that there was nothing distinct about his calling and the role that he filled. It led them to believe that they were equal to him in terms of their standing before God and the people, as well as their ministry.

God, then, called Moses, Aaron, and Miriam before him. He made clear to Miriam and Aaron that Moses indeed had a special relationship with him, shared by no other. And he asked why they weren’t afraid to speak against Moses.

His anger was kindled before them. And, as he departed, Miriam was found to be leprous. She as found to be white like snow.

Aaron then acknowledged their sin to Moses, asking that they might not be punished. He acknowledged their sin, asking that it might not be counted against them.

As we consider the circumstances, Moses had every right to be angry with them. When it came to their actions, he had every right to take offense. And, assuming that Moses shared our feelings and instincts, he may have felt like withholding forgiveness from them. 

However, as we see in the passage above, he did otherwise. He cried out to the Lord on Miriam’s behalf. He cried out, asking that he would heal her. 

God, then, answered his prayer. He granted to Miriam his healing. And she only had to observe a week-long period of uncleanness before rejoining the people.

This is the forgiveness we’re to offer those who wrong us. It’s the forgiveness we’re to offer those who sin against us. Although our first instinct may be to hold their sin against them, we’re to forgive them and pray for their healing.

In Ephesians 4:32, Paul says: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” We, then, are called to forgive others as Christ has forgiven us. We’re called to give to others the very same grace God has given us.

The Source of Vengeance

“And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them, and he departed.”

(Numbers 12:9 ESV)

When people wrong us, when they act against us, our first instinct is to lash out at them. Our first instinct is to get back at them. Our first instinct is to treat them as they have treated us.

In short, we seek vengeance. This, after all, is what they deserve. And this, we believe, is what they have coming to them.

But is this how God would have us respond? The clear teaching of Scripture, when it comes to this question, is no. We see one such piece of evidence in Numbers 12.

We see, in this passage, that Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses. His own brother and sister spoke against him. Two of those, who were influential among the people of Israel, spoke against him.

They spoke against him because he had married a Cushite woman. He had married a woman who was from the area, known today, as Ethiopia. But his marriage, and its validity, was not the true issue.

Their motive in doing so, you see, was self-serving. It was an attempt to elevate themselves. It was an attempt to elevate themselves by bringing Moses down.

They asked if God had spoken only through Moses. They asked if God had not spoken also through them. In this way, they sought to even the playing field.

We’re then told about the character of Moses. We’re told that he was very meek. We’re told that he was very humble. We’re told, in fact, that he was more meek or humble than all the people on the face of the earth.

Considering the circumstances, Moses had every reason to be offended. He had every reason to become angry. And he had every reason, humanly speaking, to retaliate.

Moses, however, had not sought the calling placed upon him. Nor had he sought the authority God had granted him. And, as we can see, he didn’t seek to defend it in any way.

God, however, did so for him. God acted on his behalf. We see this as he called Moses, Miriam, and Aaron before him.

God made clear to them that Moses was, indeed, distinct among the people. He was distinct among the prophets. He pointed out that he had a relationship with Moses that was unique in nature.

God then addressed the sin of Miriam and Aaron, asking why they had not feared to speak against his servant, Moses. As we see in the verse above, his anger was kindled against them. And, as God’s presence departed, Miriam was found to be leprous.

We see from this that, although Moses did nothing to defend his position or his honor, God did so. We find that God acted on his behalf. And we find that he can be trusted to do so.

Consider also the example of Jesus. We read in 1 Peter 2:23 that, when he was reviled, Jesus did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten. He, rather, continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

And in Romans 12, starting in verse 19, Paul gives this instruction: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Just as Moses trusted God to defend his honor, so too can we. Just as he trusted God, as people rose up against him, so too can we. Even if it isn’t evident, as it was in the case of Moses, we can know that he is acting for our blessing.

The Prayer of Faith

 “And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”

(Matthew 8:2 ESV)

When it comes to our prayers, and when it comes to the blessings we seek from God, some troublesome attitudes become quickly apparent. We, for example, often come to God in a demanding manner. We approach him, insisting that he do for us as we ask.

We regard him as though he were the creation, rather than the creator. We regard him as though he is our servant rather than our being his. And we regard him as if our will and desires take precedence over his own.

On other occasions, we approach him as if he’s reluctant to help. We approach him as if he’s resistant to provide his help. And we approach him as if he has to be persuaded or coerced into helping.

We sometimes approach him, believing that his blessings can be bought. We approach him, attempting to barter for his blessings. We approach him, offering some kind of payment for his blessings or to reciprocate in some way.

Still other times, we approach him as if his ability to help is in question. We approach him, wondering if our need is too great or if our problem is too big for him to handle. We approach him uncertain of his power or strength.

Considering all of the ways we approach him, and the improper attitudes that we express, we can learn much from the leper who approached Jesus in the eighth chapter of Matthew. We can learn much from the way in which he presented his request to him. We can learn from the simple words expressed in the passage above.

He came to Jesus, we’re told, and knelt before him. And he said to Jesus, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”

We see, first of all, that he addressed Jesus for who he is. He addressed him as Lord. He recognized that Jesus is God in the flesh.

He recognized also Jesus’ power to grant the blessing he desired. He recognized Jesus’ ability to meet his need. There is no hint of doubt in his words.

Finally, he left his request in Jesus’ hands. He understood that his prayer would be answered according to Jesus’ will. And he believed that, whatever Jesus desired, is best.

We then see Jesus’ response. Jesus said to him, “I will; be clean.” Jesus answered this leper’s prayer because it was in accordance with his will. And he did so, having the power to provide this blessing.

It’s clear, from this, that the leper’s request flowed from his faith in Christ. He didn’t believe Jesus’ blessing to result from his own effort. Nor did he imply that his wisdom surpassed that of Jesus. He entrusted his need to Jesus, knowing that he could do the very thing he was asked, while also believing that the will of Jesus was best.

Why We Go

 “But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

(Matthew 4:4 ESV)

We are approaching the time of year when our confirmands will stand before us confessing their faith in Christ. We’re approaching the time of year when we’ll celebrate our high school graduates, as many of them prepare to move out of the area. And, statistically speaking, this is the time when many of them stop going to church.

Many, as they are confirmed, view it as a graduation of sorts. As they have made it through confirmation, they now view church attendance as an optional exercise. And many parents, at this point in their child’s life, no longer insist on church attendance.

As our young people move out of their parent’s home, and experience independence for the very first time, they also tend to stop attending church. They stop attending church, preferring to sleep in on Sunday mornings. And they stop attending church as an expression of questions and doubts which have been present for some time.

And let’s face it: Many adults view church attendance as optional as well. We view it as unnecessary. We see it as a tradition. We view it as something to do when we don’t have other plans. And we attend seeking to feel good about ourselves.

It’s true, of course, that we don’t earn God’s forgiveness and mercy by going to church. We must not make our worship of the Lord a legalistic exercise. But we fail to realize that, by our failure to worship, we miss out on the blessing of God.

Attending worship, you see, isn’t so much about doing something for God. It’s not an act on our part to please him. And it’s not an act by which we merit brownie points. 

It’s about receiving a blessing that God has for us. It’s about receiving the grace of God, offered to us in his Word and Sacrament. It’s about being fed with that which nourishes us for life eternal.

This is what Jesus was getting at in the passage above. This is what was being emphasized in Deuteronomy 8:3, which Jesus was quoting. Our life isn’t sustained by bread alone. It’s sustained by the Word of God.

Just as we understand food to be necessary for life, so should we understand the Word of God. Apart from the Word of God, we cannot have faith. And, apart from the Word of God, we cannot be saved. 

Scripture tells us that we are brought to faith through the Word of God (Romans 10:13-17). It tells us that, as we hear the Word of God, we are enabled to believe.  And, in this way, we receive the grace of God.

In addition, this is how our faith is nourished. It’s how our faith is sustained. And it’s how our faith in Christ grows.

Realizing this nurturing aspect of God’s Word, then, we naturally desire to receive it. We naturally desire to hear it as it’s taught and preached. And we naturally desire to gather with our fellow believers to study it.