This Type of Frustration...

“He just doesn’t stay where I put Him.”

Yeap, that was one of my thoughts driving home last week. Recently God and I have been working through my trust issues and I find myself frustrated; frustrated that He is not an “if, then” God. Let me explain…

Having grown up in a church where you get together on Sunday’s to congratulate each other on what you have not done all week, I have this mentality that “if” I obey all the things God has laid out in scripture “then” He will do/give/be what I need Him to do/give/be. When I read through the Old Testament there are a lot of “if, then” situations. If Moses had talked to the rock instead of hitting it, then he would have been able to enter the Promise Land. If King Saul had waited for Samuel before making the sacrifice, then God would have blessed Israel; and so on and so forth.

(And, yes, I am aware that this mentality makes God seem like a puppet, that man is the one running the universe and not God and there is no grace in the equation… Nevertheless, this is the false mentality I struggle with…)

So, I find myself frustrated because I cannot get it right. Just when I think I know the place to find God…He moves.

He moves for me.

He moves so I remember that He is and I am not. He moves to do what is best for me; not what I, in my shortsightedness, want. He moves mountains so I do not have to climb them; and He makes rough places smooth. He moves hope, joy, peace, and trust into my life to replace the apathy, sadness, restlessness and pity. He continues to be more faithful to me than I want and He refuses to stay where I put Him.

Is this frustrating? Yes.

Is it good? Definitely!

We need more frustration like this…