Offended at God

Have you ever had times that it seems your prayers fall to the floor, not even going up as far as the ceiling? Though the reasons for this can be varied, there is one I have experienced more than once, and probably will again, as the Lord keeps growing me. My most recent opportunity for growing only lasted two days before I was convicted, repented, and returned to my proper position with the Lord, which was shorter than previous instances. I pray that next time it will be even faster – maybe immediate. Let me tell you my story, with the person’s name and the circumstances changed for reasons of privacy.

Jill and I had a confrontation that became pretty heated, though the issue was resolved after only a few hours, and everything was back on the right track. I noticed the next day, however, that when I thought of Jill and the whole episode, I wasn’t thinking how thankful I was that it had come up and the Lord had resolved it. My thoughts weren’t good at all, but I didn’t pay attention and take those negative thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5), so they festered like an infected sore. On the second morning, as soon as I awoke, I knew something was wrong. My thoughts about Jill were unpleasant, negative, and going downhill from there. That infected sore was getting so big that my attitude about everything else was also getting infected.

I praise the Lord, first of all, for His mercy in helping me recognize that something wasn’t right. I assumed that I was still offended at Jill, and asked the Lord to show me the specific source of that offense, so that I could forgive her and be set right again. Very quickly, the Lord made clear I was offended at Him, not Jill. When the Lord tells you something, even if you don’t see how it could be so, there’s no need to argue with Him about it, so I didn’t. Where I thought I was offended at Jill because she wouldn’t allow the Truth to change her, the Lord revealed to me that I was offended at Him because her change wasn’t coming fast enough to suit me.

I wasn’t going to win this one, nor did I want to. When I saw that I was offended at God – the One Who is never wrong, the only One Who can help me, and the One Who created me – my immediate response was to humble myself and repent. My focus had been on Jill and what she was and wasn’t doing according to my timetable (pride). Now, my focus was back on the Lord once again, where I could trust Him to work with each one of us according to His plan, not necessarily mine. Jill’s walk will no longer be a cause of stumbling for me, as I continue to trust in Him and not be offended at His ways.

Matthew 11:6 “And blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is he who takes no offense at Me and finds no cause for stumbling in or through Me and is not hindered from seeing the Truth.” Amplified

As I take this verse to heart, I declare that I choose to be a blessed one, recognizing that my place is praying by His Spirit and letting God do the work, not becoming offended at Him because He doesn’t answer those prayers according to my plans and timetable. I choose not to be hindered from seeing the Truth in any way, and so will continue in the blessing as long as I humble myself and trust Him completely, refusing to be offended at God. May you choose to be blessed the same way, too!

© Copyright 2008 Kay V. Stocking