Threatening GOD

Deuteronomy 1: ²⁹ Then I said to you, “Don’t be terrified. Don’t be afraid of them. ³⁰ The Lord your God will go ahead of you. He will fight for you. With your own eyes you saw how he fought for you in Egypt.

³¹ “You also saw how the Lord your God brought you through the desert. He carried you everywhere you went, just as a father carries his son. And now you have arrived here.”

³² In spite of that, you didn’t trust in the Lord your God.

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For months our lives were put on hold.  Every decision was based on the possibility of moving to a new city “if” I got the top position in the company. I felt extremely nervous during the interview and did not get the position. I do remember pouting.

“LORD, what’s the purpose of being ‘good’ if nothing comes out of it? I’m done serving!” I said during my tantrum. Little did I know HE had much better things in mind for me and I was busy making HIM an enemy!

• When I have trials placed in front of me I sometimes pout.
• When I have obstacles placed in front of me I sometimes kick and scream at GOD.
• When I am not getting “my” way I sometimes throw a tantrum, threatening GOD in the process.

Like a four year old who wants to run away from home I looked around and realized, where will I go? I mean everything and everywhere and everyone is HIS. You would think I would become rational at that realization. Instead I thought, “well, YOU are GOD, of course ‘YOU’ would say don’t be terrified and don’t be afraid, but I’m human what can I do?”

• GOD says “TRUST in the LORD with all your heart in all your ways and do not lean to your own understanding.”
• GOD says “Put aside childish things” and “have faith in your GOD for I delivered you.”
• GOD says “the fear of GOD is the beginning of wisdom.”

In other words, why am I yelling at GOD for not getting my way?  GOD has a better plan that I could never dream up.  HIS ways are solid and I can be free to be “me”, not what everyone expects me to be. I don’t have to threaten HIM or coerce HIM into getting something I probably didn’t want in the first place.

GOD knows what’s best. HE wants a solid “trust” from me. I Believe!

• Do you doubt GOD?
• Are you ready to throw in the towel because life is getting difficult?
• Why do you have to be convinced over and over that GOD is faithful?
• Won’t you get rid of you pride of needing GOD to prove HIMSELF and show HIM your trust?

GOD’s love is strong!

Exodus 34: ⁶ As he passed in front of Moses, he called out. He said, “I am the Lord, the Lord. I am a God who is tender and kind. I am gracious. I am slow to get angry. I am faithful and full of love. 

⁷ I continue to show my love to thousands of people. I forgive those who do evil. I forgive those who refuse to obey. And I forgive those who sin. But I do not let guilty people go without punishing them. I punish the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren for the sin of their parents.”

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“What a rotten year” I said to myself once. After getting dumped and numerous tickets and the dean saying you are no longer at this university and my boss saying it’s only a matter of time before we fire you, I had reached the last straw. I still did not turn to GOD but I was truly exhausted. Where should I go for help?

• Sin seems like a good idea when I am in pain.
• Throwing a pity party seems like a good idea when things are going wrong.
• Spreading my misery seems like a good idea when I am down.

I probably secretly want everyone else miserable around me so I pout and complain. I share my misery openly but calculate sharing my relationship with GOD. Then I sin and feel miserable and do it again. Is there any relief?

• GOD says “I am the LORD” which means HE is supreme.
• GOD says “I am a GOD who is tender and kind” which means HE sees beyond my situation.
• GOD says “I am gracious” which means HE understands my mess yet forgives me to the fullest.
• GOD says “I am slow to get angry” which means HE knows I’m going to mess up again and again.
• GOD says “I am faithful and full of love” which means HE is not out to get me like I sometimes fear.

GOD does quite the opposite of my thinking.  When I think I have arrived and act judgmental, HE is not pleased. When I realize how sinful I truly am acting HE reaches HIS arms out and gently leads me back to HIM. HE forgives me even when I refuse to obey HIM. HE loves me.

• Are you going through difficult times?
• Do you feel GOD has left you?
• Can you realize GOD is very slow to anger and knows what you are going through?
• Can you take a moment to praise HIM for HIS faithfulness towards you?
• Can you say out loud “Thank you GOD for loving me”?

Revenge or grace

Exodus: ²² “If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. ²³ But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, ²⁴ eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, ²⁵ burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

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Exhausted from track practice I slumped toward my locker. A football player walking on the opposite direction decided to hit my scrawny frame in the chest. I literally saw glowing things so I know what people mean when they say they saw stars!

This amongst other bullying activities made me life weights. No one was going to push me around anymore!

• When I get mad I want revenge!
• When someone does me harm I want to harm them.
• When I am the target of hatred I want to give them a taste of their own medicine.

After lifting weights and putting on a few muscles I noticed people picking fights rather than letting me have peace. “Should I learn to fight” crossed my mind. BUT GOD wanted me to behave different.

• GOD wants me to turn rage into Grace for that’s what HE shows me daily.
• GOD wants me to forgive rather than show revenge for the sole purpose of drawing people to HIM.
• GOD wants me to bring peace rather than picking fights to demonstrate the same love HE showed me.

GOD created the “revenge laws” AND HE demonstrated the payment for the law by dying for my sins. HE paid the price for all revenge and wants me to show love instead of hatred.

• Did someone treat you wrong?
• Are you ready to fight them?
• Can you stop thinking about the wrong they have done and think about the grace GOD wants you to show?

GOD’s grace is contagious

Genesis 50: ¹⁵ When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” ¹⁶ So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: 

¹⁷ ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.

¹⁸ His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.

¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? ²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

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Many times I have been wrong and when I am, I get scared of the person who I’ve wronged.  Sometimes I hide or I may even speak in ways that seem to ask for forgiveness. Little do I know that the evil I had planned was mean somehow for good. I have run into people who were gracious instead of righteous.

These people gave me mercy instead of judgment and it seemed to come at the right time. Maybe I should do the same.

• When I am gracious I build a person up.
• When I am gracious I enable people to see GOD.
• When I am gracious I act a little like GOD.

GOD’s grace is contagious. HE allowed HIS SON to die for me just to show me grace. HE expects me to show others grace while HE deals with their heart. HIS grace is sufficient.

• Have you wronged someone?
• Are you afraid to admit it to them?
• Can you face what you’ve done and ask for forgiveness?
• Won’t you forgive yourself and know GOD has forgiven you?

Jealousy doesn’t make me right

Genesis 37: ³ Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. ⁴ When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

⁵ Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more.

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Studying hard had paid off. My coworker and I were at the top of our class and became highly sought after in our office. That all fell apart when this smooth talking guy was hired.  He didn’t know all the information that my coworker and I knew yet he was getting the glamorous assignments.  I didn’t like that guy.  I wonder if we should have plotted against him.

Jealousy blinds me to my own abilities.

Jealousy makes me think I am inadequate.

Jealousy causes me to see things that aren’t there.

When I look at the fortune someone else has I get jealous and turn into a pouter. Instead of being happy for the person and celebrating, my jealousy kicks in and I say, “Why isn’t that happening to me?” or “Why is ‘that’ creepy person making it and I’m not?”

Celebrating with others actually helps me grow.

Congratulating others puts me in a mindset of gratitude rather than one of despair.

Complimenting others forces me to find the good in the person rather than seeing their flaws.

Instead of being jealous, envious and spiteful, GOD wants me to be gracious enough to actually enjoy what other people are accomplishing in spite of where I’m at. GOD wants me to show love as an example to draw mankind to HIM.

Can you recognize jealousy in yourself?

Are you focusing on what you don’t have and what others have?

Are you “half” complimenting GOD by giving thanks to HIM and turning around and complaining about what you don’t have?

Can you turn your jealousy and envy into compliments and gratitude?