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“With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord!” (Psalm 119:145).
I witnessed a small child’s angst in a very public place. We all have at one time or another, right? Maybe with our own kids.
Something in this child, maybe hunger or tiredness or frustration, triggered it to stomp its tiny foot, sit down in the middle of the aisle and scream “NO!” The ear-piercing tears began. No coaxing would work. Attempts to get the child up only made it scream louder. The mom knelt down and waited to get a word in edgewise. She focused solely on her child, not the reactions of others around her. She let her little one scream it out, then as the sobs subsided, she took control back.
I admit it. Lately I have been prone to spiritual two-year old tantrums. Try as I might to squelch them, they bubble up inside of me. It is one of those “Why does it have to be this way?” and “Why does it have to be so hard?” times in several areas of my life.
But I have learned that God doesn’t ignore my silent tantrums (silent to the rest of the world, at least) that scream so loud deep inside me. He whispers through them into my heart. He has brought people to me with words of conviction, not patronizing platitudes. He has opened Scripture to my mind, like this one today. Like that mother with the screaming toddler, God stays focused on me, waiting for me to calm down and take a breath so He can get a word in edgewise and take control again.
God does answer us in the way He knows we need. We just may not always be listening because we are so caught up in the moment of being, well, human beings with hurts, faults and anxieties. Sometimes, tantrums almost seem comfortable, as non-productive as they are. They are excuses for not moving forward. Exhausted, frustrated, or angry, we just do not want to budge any further. We plop ourselves down, arms crossed and refuse to move another step, just like that toddler exhibiting newly found self will.
But our Heavenly Father is patient and slow to anger. He stays right there waiting for us to get it out of our system, calm back down and listen to reasoning. Only then can His Word come to life for us, words that pick us up, dry our tears and encourage us to move forward again, holding onto Daddy’s hand.
“Let my cry come before you,
O Lord; give me understanding according to your word!
Let my plea come before you;
deliver me according to your word” (vv 169-170).
Question: Do you ever feel like screaming at God? Do you think it is Okay to do that?
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Thank you, Julie, for today’s devotional. How real it was! Then I must ask myself, am I a spiritual 2 year old, Father? Forgive me. I know at times I have asked, “why?” We had a devastating situation happen to us yesterday. Fortunately, it does not involve human life, but it is filled with discouragement and will cost us lots of time, effort, and, unfortunately, money which we do not have. I have asked our church family to pray for us—-for wisdom, guidance, advocates, and spiritual protection. I hold on to “All things work together for the good of those that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28”.
I enjoyed today’s devotional and wanted to let Judy D know I’m also praying for her and her family.
Julie, you blog today is very real and relevant in my life. The workplace is so frustrating that I feel myself screaming inside for justice knowing no one hears me but God. Sometimes I’m afraid I’m going to well up and let everyone know how I feel, but knowing better, I usually go for a walk or literally jump in my car and go for a ride. Regret is an awful thing; I don’t want to regret something I’m said or done. And so I pray to God who make adjustments and transformation in my life. I pray for my coworkers: for the one who talks and laughs so loud I can’t think, for the one that surfs the net, for the one who plays solitaire, for the one who has a side business he runs at work, for the one who talks on their cell phone, for the one who has a bad attitude most every day, for tha thankless people I invest so much time in teaching, for the boss who is never there and when he is, his favorite word is “no”. He has put us in these situations to mold our character and resolve, and He will lead us into better situations when He is ready. We need to ask for understanding and walk worthy of our calling.
Thank you, Libby, for your prayers! :-)
That is amazing! I just came home from church & the pastor preached on this message today! (The Brooklyn Tabernacle church in NY). He spoke about Moses & the Israelites, and how they cried out to God in their slavery.. he was encouraging us to do the same when we feel stuck, or need God to intervene. Thanks for the message! God is amazing in how he correlates messages all over the world. God bless.
thank you all for taking the time to comment on my devotional. How reassuring it is to see how God can work through our thoughts and reaffirm for others. Judy D., my prayers are with you. Sharon, Libby – thanks for responding. Libby may He make you a beacon at your workplace and give you patience.