A Disappointed God

It's hard for me to think about God being disappointed, but I believe that He is sometimes. Isn't He big enough to do what He wants and to have what He wants? Of course, He's big enough! But He is not a bully, forcing His way through the world and through our lives. He has chosen to limit Himself to the boundaries of our choice. This does not mean that He is ever taken by surprise; He knows who we are and how we will behave! Nevertheless, He persists in extending His love to all. How painful the rejection of us humans must be!

"For this is what the high and lofty One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: 'I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.' " (Isaiah 57:15 NIV) That is God's desire and plan, to have relationship with us. All went well until Adam and Eve were no longer humble but wanted to be as smart as God. All their descendants, even until the present, have the same inclination.

In Noah's time, the Lord saw the terrible wickedness on the earth and the continually evil thoughts people had. He was grieved that he had placed humans on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain. Through many centuries, He called people to follow Him. In Jeremiah's time, He said through the prophet, “Long ago I broke the yoke that oppressed you and tore away the chains of your slavery, but still you said, ‘I will not serve you.’ On every hill and under every green tree, you have prostituted yourselves by bowing down to idols." (Jeremiah 2:20 NLT)

Jesus came, but "He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him." (John 1:10, 11 NLT) To the Ephesian church, John was told to write, “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. . . You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first." (Revelation 2:2-5 NLT) The apostle Paul warned, "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other." (Galatians 5:13, 14 NIV)

No, God does not always get what He wants—not in His ancient people, not in the Church, not in our homes and places of business, not in individual lives.

What can we do so God won't continue to be disappointed?

MaryMartha

Click on the title to read "Failure" or "When Jesus Cried".

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.