God, I’m A Little Mad And A Lot Confused - Unglued Devotional

Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

and he will make your paths straight.

(Proverbs 3:5 – 6)

Kick off your shoes and get ready to get gut-honest. When God doesn’t seem to be answering our prayers, it can be hard. Sometimes, downright awful.

One minute, I’m determined to trust God. The next, I feel myself questioning God. The “why” questions tumble in so hard. My heart hurts. My tears fall. And in those raw moments I just feel a little mad and a lot confused.

Ever been there?

I don’t want to oversimplify what to do in these times. Facing issues that never seem to stop is tough. Really tough. Especially those situations where the answers aren’t easy or clean-cut. But I have discovered three things that help me when God seems silent.

1. Press into God when you want to pull away.

When I really want to hear from God, but He seems silent, I sometimes find I want to disengage from my normal spiritual activities. Skip church. Put my Bible on the shelf. And let more and more time lapse between prayers.

But pulling away only makes things worse. God says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). All my heart includes the parts that are broken. Bring it all to God.

He can handle your honesty and will respond. But we have to go where truth is. Go to church. Listen to praise music. Read the Bible. Memorize verses. And keep talking to God.

2. raise God out loud when you want to get lost in complaints.

In the midst of whatever you’re facing, find simple things for which to praise God. I don’t mean thank Him for the hard stuff. I mean thank Him for the other simple, good things you still experience. A child’s laugh. A bush that blooms. The warmth of a blanket. The gift of this breath and then the next.

Scripture reminds me that praise leads to newness: “He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:3 NASB). We can literally find new words with which to process life in a more positive way when we choose to praise God instead of complain.

3. Put yourself in the company of truth.

That friend who speaks truth? Listen to her. Stay connected to her. Let her speak truth into your life even when you’re tired of hearing it. As Proverbs 12:26 (NASB) encourages, “The righteous is a guide to his neighbor.” Stand in the shadow of her faith when you feel your own faith is weak. Let her lead you back to God time and time again.

It’s okay to feel a little mad and a lot confused. Our God is big enough to handle our honest feelings. But don’t let your feelings lead you away from God or away from His truth. Press into Him. Praise Him. And put yourself in the company of truth. As you stay with God in these ways, you will be ready to receive His answer when it comes.