When You're at Odds with God
Have you ever found yourself at odds with God? Let’s
face it, in any real relationship there are disagreements, and if we’re honest
with ourselves, we’ll admit we occasionally have a falling out with God. Times
when we’re disappointed about an answer He’s given us or angry about something
we think He’s allowed and we can’t fathom why.
God understands when we get upset with him, and I
think He welcomes our sincere
questioning, not flippant or disrespectful, but genuine inquiries that come
from our hearts. Ruth Brown, the protagonist in my upcoming novel Under Fire, is furious with God for
allowing Pearl Harbor and personal tragedies in her life. Throughout the story,
she questions Him about incidents that occur. Because she seeks answers, He
provides them. Some of the answers are not ones she wants, but He gives her
peace to deal with those.
My protagonist, Ruth, is no different than the
biblical characters who also struggled with hurt, loss, and injustice. Consider
Job who loses everything and asks God what He did to deserve such treatment.
How about Gideon? In Judges 6:13, he asks God if He’s with them: “How could
this have befallen us?” Both the prophet Jeremiah and Habakkuk questioned God
about how He could let things happen to His people. And we can’t forget Moses
who quizzed God constantly about what He was thinking. In each of these cases,
God responded in love and gave the individual peace about the situation.
Authors are encouraged to write what they know. In
order to craft Ruth’s journey from anger to acceptance, I examined my own
relationship with God and realized I had unresolved issues about times I felt He
had let me down and answers I was upset about. It took a lot of prayer, prayer
that involved listening to God’s side. That was the difficult part. I realized
that a lot of my conversations with God were actually monologues—me doing most
of the talking and very little listening. I came out on the other side with
some bumps and bruises (remember Joseph’s wrestling match with the angel of
God?). But as a result I have a deeper relationship with God and a fuller
understanding of His work in my life.
Are you upset with God? Are you hanging on to past
hurts? Are you struggling to understand how He could let something happen that
caused you or your loved ones grief? I pray you’ll approach Him with honesty
and an open heart, so He can give you the peace he wants you to have.
“O
Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you healed me.” Psalm 30:2
About Under Fire:
Ruth Brown is a small-town journalist whose sister
Jane, is pronounced dead after a boating accident in April 1942. Because Jane’s
body is missing, Ruth is convinced her sister is still alive. A series of
events and discoveries raise Ruth’s suspicions about Jane’s work at the local
manufacturing plant. Eventually Ruth follows clues to war-torn London. By the
time she manages to uncover the truth about Jane’s disappearance, Ruth has
stumbled on black marketers, resistance fighters and the IRA—all of whom may
want her dead for what she has uncovered.
About
the Author:
Linda
Shenton Matchett is a journalist, blogger, and author. Born
in Baltimore, Maryland, a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry, Linda has lived in
historical places most of her life-from Edison, New Jersey (named for the famed
inventor of the lightbulb) and Washington, DC to Wolfeboro, New Hampshire
(reputed to be the oldest summer resort in America). A freelance writer for
over ten years, her articles and devotionals have appeared in numerous print
and online publications. She is a volunteer docent at the Wright Museum of WWII
and as a Trustee for the Wolfeboro Public Library. Active in her church Linda
serves as treasurer, usher, choir member, and Bible study leader.
