Do We Blame God When Bad Things Happen?

Posted bySteven WalesPosted inFaith, God is sovereignTags:, , ,

Job was the wealthiest man of his time, “the greatest man among all the people of the east.” He had 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, and thousands of other animals, servants without number, and ten grown children he adored. Then in a single moment he lost it all—including his children. Did he blame God? Here’s the way the Bible reports his reaction:

Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshipped, saying, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Through it all, Job did not sin or blame God for anything. Job 1:20-22.

JOB DID NOT BLAME GOD.

That’s pretty amazing, isn’t it? Why do we blame God? Because He is God—so we figure He could have stopped the thing from happening, right? A failure? An illness? A death? A betrayal? God chose not to intervene, so we blame Him for that, right? But Job, a “man of perfect integrity” did NOT blame God, and he lost more than we will ever own. Throughout the book, God offers Job as a role model. We are to follow his example. Thus, we are to WORSHIP God in our trials, not curse God. We need to praise God, NOT blame Him.

What do you blame God for? Ask Him to show you—are you carrying a grudge? Are you allowing a hurt from the past to keep you from God? Can you talk to God and confess your bitterness? Until you do, you will STOP growing in your faith.


Is it your nature to blame God? Job’s wife was a God-blamer. When tragedy struck, she said to him, “Why do you still maintain your integrity? Why not curse God and die?!”
Job answered, “SHALL WE INDEED ACCEPT GOOD FROM THE LORD AND NOT ACCEPT ADVERSITY?” Job 2:9-10.


We must accept the good and the bad. When tragedy strikes, we must WORSHIP the way Job did. We must “forgive” God for hurts in the past. Confess them. Confess the pride that allows you to dare to blame the God of the universe. Worship Him and thank Him and ask Him to change your heart and help you trust Him with even the worst tragedies.


Dear God, we confess our pride and the bitterness that tells us it is okay to blame you for tragedies. Help us trust your wisdom, and worship you when bad things happen.

ΑΩ

Published by Steven Wales

Dad's Daily Devotional began as text messages to my family. I wanted my teenagers to know their father was reading the Bible. But they were at school by then. Initially, I sent them a favorite verse or an insight based on what I read each day. That grew into drafting a devotional readng which I would send them via text. I work as an attorney and an adjunct professor, and recently wrote a book called HOW TO MAKE A'S.

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