December 5 • Blaming God

Blaming God makes sense. If God is in control and knows everything, then God could have kept us away from all the bad things. Yet we experience evil, sickness, despair, and darkness. We can find some faults in ourselves and others, but God can do anything- so the struggle and the suffering could have been avoided if God wanted to, right? This trouble is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer? [2 Kings 6:33] 

 When we blame God, we acknowledge God’s power, even if we fail to see God’s plan and purpose. Even Jesus, from the cross, laid his complaint at God’s feet: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” [Matthew 27:46] But as he died, he demonstrated that his prayer was one of trust and acceptance of God’s purposes. “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” [Luke 23:46] Jesus took the blame and paid the ultimate price. And because of that, we have the assurance that we will never be left alone, that God always has a purpose. “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and hope.” [Jeremiah 29:11]

 This is a time for prayer. A time to seek understanding. To grow. To be sustained. This is a time to trust that no matter what it is you’re facing, God has a purpose and a future through it. Evening, morning, and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and God hears my voice… Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; God will never permit the righteous to be moved. [Psalm 55:22]