Have you ever been really angry with God? I mean, arguing with Him angry?

I have. Many times. And I’ve always felt guilty afterwards.

But I’m beginning to think that’s wrong. I think it’s

A) normal

B) necessary

C) expected by God.

If you believe Scripture, Jacob wrestled with God, Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, Hezekiah, Jeremiah, Job, Jonah, Lot and Solomon and a whole lot of others had their moments with the Lord. The apostles never quite understood who Jesus was and, I suspect, had some lively conversations with Him. When guards came to arrest Jesus, Peter defied His Master and cut off the ear of the high priest’s slave. Judas betrayed Him.

Even mild mannered Jesus displayed moments of anger, bias and questioning. Remember the scene at the Temple? Remember when He was at the wedding at Cana? Or his words to the Gentile woman in Tyre who wanted Him to heal her daughter? (Mark 7:24-30). Jesus first dismissed her and referred to her as a “dog” — a derisive term in the Middle East. Let the children [the Jews] be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs [the Gentiles]. But she answered Him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Then He said to her, “For saying that, you may go — the demon has left your daughter.” Remember the agony in Gethsemane? His words on the cross, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me, which is also, by the way, a quote from David in Psalm 22?

The point is sometimes we have to plead out case before the Lord. We have to let out the hurt and the anger and the disappointment and the fear so we can let in the grace of God.

It may be unconventional, but it is — in its purest sense — prayer.

I’m not suggesting we argue with God. But I do suggest we have an intimate conversation with Him with no limits, so we can recognize a power much greater than our own.

Amen,

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: We can’t control all our circumstances, but we can control our reactions.