Blaming God!

September 30, 2021

Blame God!

I have blamed God for things that don’t make sense to me.  I have blamed God for things that I felt were not fair or not just.  I have blamed God for oppression or pain that does not stop.

You can blame God for lots of things.  And, many people of faith will find themselves occasionally blaming God for something in their life that they would like to be different.  Here are a few examples from the Psalms.

“O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses; you have been angry….You have made your people suffer hard things…”  Psalm 60:1, 3

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?”  Psalm 22:1

“How long, O Lord?  Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me?  How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long?”  Psalm 13:1-2

You can blame God for this thing and that thing and for every thing.  You can also blame God for not listening, for not responding, and for taking too long to help. 

When I was single, I cried out to Jesus; “Will I ever find true love?”

When my dream did not come true, I cried out to the Holy Spirit; “What do I do now?”

When I got an answer I did not want, I cried out to the Lord God; “How will I get through this?”

I have found that my complaints to and my blaming of the Savior, are part of my way of processing what is happening around me and sometimes in me.  I have also noticed that most of the complaints and blaming directed at God in the Psalms come in the form of questions.  I have found the same is true when I blame God.

Leaning into those questions helps me to do two things. 

First, the pondering and praying over my questions of complaint and blaming reminds me that my help will come from the Lord.  Here are a couple of examples from the Psalms.

“But you, O Lord, do not be far away!  O my help, come quickly to my aid!  Deliver my soul from the sword, my life from the power of the dog!”  Psalm 22:19-20

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.…This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble.”  Psalm 34:4, 6

The Lord is my help even when I am blaming and complaining.

Second, the hard questions of life often lead me to ask the Spirit for strength and courage and compassion in the time between my blaming God and the time when God helps me. 

Joshua was called by the Lord God to become the new leader of the Israelite people after Moses had died.  Joshua is reluctant to follow such a great leader and afraid to lead the sometimes stubborn Israelites.  After much arguing, the Lord God gives Joshua a promise that is important for anyone who is blaming God or complaining about life.

In Joshua 1:9, the Lord tells Joshua, “Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Even while we are blaming God, complaining to God, or arguing with God, the Lord promises to help us.  The Lord will give us the strength and the courage we need.  The Lord will be with us in every moment no matter how difficult or distressing it may be.    

When we trust these promises of God, we will have more compassion for other people and our heart will take delight in the Lord even when trouble still seems to be winning.

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug