Rev.
Jeffrey T. Howard
Beaver
Dam and Pitts Creek Churches
Sermon
–
Jeremiah
20:7-13 Angry at God
June
22, 2014
God
created us for the purpose of being in relationship with us. God
wanted people to love. And he wants people to love him. But what
kind of relationship does God desire with us? We will get to this,
but first let's pray.
In
your good time, O Lord, in your great mercy, come to us with your
never-failing help. As this day unfolds, let us see in our friends,
family, and neighbors the face of your loving-kindness toward them;
in our own faces, let us see only what is yours. Be our strength and
solace in these hours, and lighten the paths of all we encounter. We
pray this in the strong Word that created and upholds the universe:
in Jesus’ name. Amen.1
If
we are to have a relationship with God then we must decide what kind
of relationship that would be. For example we could see God as far
away, up in heaven, aloof and not really concerned about us. If that
is what God is like, and many believe this, then its ok to talk with
God occasionally, maybe once a week or less often if you find
something better to do on Sunday. A God like this makes no demands
on you. And you can live your lives as if he doesn't exist.
But
God doesn't want this sort of relationship. He doesn't want to hear
from you now and then. He created you to live with you. He wants a
close, intimate relationship. He wants to be with you all the time.
He wants you to talk with him every day, multiple times a day.
That's the kind of relationship we are offered.
Others
see God as their best friend who will do anything they ask. Whatever
you want or think you need just ask God and he will do it. God is
like a trained dog who will fetch, sit, and role over on command.
But this is not the kind of relationship God wants either. God wants
to be close, personal. Think of your spouse. You are with this
person every day. You talk several times a day. You do things with
and for each other. You love each other. This is the sort of
relationship God has in mind with you.
For
those of us who have been married for a while we know that our spouse
is the source of great happiness. We would do anything for him or
her. But sometimes a husband or wife is frustrating. You just don't
see eye to eye. And you get angry, sometimes very angry with each
other. And this is normal. You will get angry at your spouse from
time to time, but you have learned to hang in there because you will
get over the anger and the happiness will return.
So
too with our relationship with God. Since we have a close, personal
relationship with our creator we will at times be angry with him.
Anger is an indication of how close we are to God. The angrier we
get, the closer to God we must be. Let's listen to the prophet
Jeremiah who was very close to God and has become very angry at God.
Jeremiah
20:7
O LORD, you deceived; me, and I was deceived you overpowered me and
prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me. 8
Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So
the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long.
9
But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his
name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my
bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. 10
I hear many whispering, "Terror on every side! Report him! Let's
report him!" All my friends are waiting for me to slip, saying,
"Perhaps he will be deceived; then we will prevail over him and
take our revenge on him."
Jeremiah
is between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand God had revealed
to him the upcoming destruction of Jerusalem and had commanded
Jeremiah to proclaim this to the people. One the other hand, the
people receiving God's message think Jeremiah is fool. If Jeremiah
proclaims God's word, he will be arrested and beaten by the religious
establishment. If he stops proclaiming God's word a fire burns in
his heart. This is a no win situation for Jeremiah. And Jeremiah is
angry at God for doing this.
The
people in Jeremiah's day no longer had any need for God. They
thought they could go it alone. It seems that in America there is no
longer any need for God either. Many people think God is far away,
irrelevant, or maybe was never there at all.
If
God was far away, uninterested in us, or irrelevant there would be no
point of getting angry. Who would you get angry at? Why would you
be angry at something not there. But the good news is that people
are getting angry at God because this indicates that they have a
relationship with God.
Julie
Exline, at psychologist at Case Western Reserve University, has been
studying the anger Americans have toward God for a decade. In her
study a large number of Americans expressed anger toward God. And I
think their anger toward God, like Jeremiah's anger is a sign of
great faith and a strong relationship with God. This was confirmed
by a study at the University of Toronto that found 82% of Americans
depend on God when making decisions.2
Whenever
we are angry with someone we love what do we do? Do we separate? Do
we reconcile? Do we forgive? Let's go back to Jeremiah and see what
he did when he was angry with God.
11
But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will
stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced;
their dishonor will never be forgotten. 12
O LORD Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the heart
and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have
committed my cause. 13
Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the
needy from the hands of the wicked.
Jeremiah
knows that God is the source of his greatest joy. And he is not
going to let anyone or anything come between him and God. He trusts
that God will one day solve his problems and restore him to
happiness. And so he rests secure in his relationship with God.
So
too with us. We will from time to time be angry with God. We are
angry when a loved one gets sick. We are angry when the Presbyterian
General Assembly does something stupid. But we don't let our anger
get between us and our God. We rest assured in God's arms confident
that he loves us very much.
I
would like to share with you a story about someone who became angry
with God. Lori Kucharski is a young mother. Recently two of her
college friends died of cancer leaving behind small children. Lori
has been especially concerned about her own heath and safety because
she also has two small children. About eight months after the birth
of her son she and her husband were getting pizza ready for dinner.
She began feeling a tingling sensation in her right arm. Then the
arm went numb and she kept shaking it for feeling to come back. Just
then there was a rain shower followed by a beautiful rainbow. She
tried to say the word “rainbow” but she had trouble speaking.
And her husband rushed her to the hospital. She had a mini-stroke.
I'll let her describe what happened next.
“The
next few days passed in a blur as I returned home….and then the
anger came. I held my son, realizing my faith was completely rocked.
I remembered my two beautiful, amazing friends who became mothers and
then were taken from their children. And I was ANGRY. My thoughts
were not faith-filled. What kind of God allows children to be taken
from their parents or parents from their children? How dare He allow
my friends to have babies, only to let them die from cancer? One
friend, who died of melanoma-related cancer, didn’t even grow up in
Florida like the rest of us did, roasting ourselves in the sun all
year! How could He consider and call Himself a loving God when
things like this happen?”3
Lori
was very angry at God for all this. But she did not let anything
come between her and God that would hurt their relationship. Let's
hear from her again.
“I
get angry at God and ask myself why He allows all of these bad things
to happen. I know our questions will be answered on the other side,
and often they’re answered on this side. I don’t believe God
wants me to blindly accept pain and suffering. I believe He wants me
to trust Him unconditionally and feel secure and confident in His
love and mercy as I move through life. (Jesus said) “I have told
you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you
will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
(John 16:33, NIV).”4
So
it's ok to be angry with God. Anger is a sign of the closeness of
your relationship with him. And in Jesus Christ God has demonstrated
that he wants a very close relationship with you. So be confident
that your anger at God will pass and your joy will be restored
because God loves you very much.
Father
in Heaven, sometimes we are very angry at you. This is a sign of our
great love for you and our desire to be in relationship with you.
Bless us with faith when we are angry. And thank you for sending
Jesus Christ so that nothing will separate us from your love. Amen.
3http://www.ibelieve.com/faith/angry-at-god.html
4Ibid.
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