Are You Angry With God? Expect This

Jonah 4:1
But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.

Jonah 4:4
But the LORD replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

Jonah 4:9
But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”

Truth be said, sometimes we get angry with God. We expect Him to do certain things and He doesn’t. We expect Him to answer the prayer of healing a loved one, then after all fasting and prayer, the loved one dies. We know God had the power to prevent these things from happening but He allowed and we get angry. At times we feel angry because it seems God is letting the devil have his way too much.

We get angry against God when we expect Him to reward us for things we have done for Him. After being active in church and never missing any worship, at least giving me a scholarship to a university I have dreamt of would be too little to ask. Then after all prayers and fasting, you do not get it. We get angry with God when we pray to prevent a heartbreak but the heartbreak happens anyway.

Some get angry with God briefly then resume a good relationship with God. Some get angry with God and completely lose faith, but instead of moving on to wherever they wish to, they hang around to condemn Christianity or any other belief in God, hoping in that manner to get back at God. How juvenile for them! They call everyone’s attention to the fact that they no longer love God or believe in Him. Acting like jilted lovers. Others go quiet and just retreat from social life and hide in their pain until when provoked on faith matters then all hell breaks loose and the bottled-up anger is spewed mixed with their former knowledge of scripture. Others decide to express their disappointment in God by living openly a life that is contrary to God.

We get angry with God because our expectations did not match the reality. We get angry with God because we thought prayer is a way to manipulate God. We get angry with God because we thought fasting is one thing God can’t resist and will just do our will once we fast. We get angry with God because we thought the cumulative good things we have done for Him should influence Him to treat us favorably. We get angry with God because we expected that our understanding of scripture is enough to influence Him to always do what we want. We get angry with God when He doesn’t act obviously as we expected. He didn’t harm the person who harmed us. He didn’t kill the one who stole from us. We get angry because we had sworn that whoever did it will see God’s wrath and nothing happened yet.

Our text tells us Jonah the prophet was angry with God. God sent Him to Nineveh and Jonah didn’t want to go because he feared that God will not punish the people of Nineveh. Jonah ran to Tarshish but God forced him to go to Nineveh. Jonah preaches and the people repent and God forgives. Jonah gets angry because God has easily and simply forgiven these people. When Jonah expressed his anger, God responded as He will always do.

When we get angry, God continues to show us His love and care, Jonah 4:6. God gives the angry Jonah a plant the protects him from the scorching sun. Getting angry with God may not immediately earn you His wrath and you may think He can’t retaliate or even think He doesn’t exist. Eventually, God will punish all sins. Eventually, those on the wrong will pay for it. Meanwhile, nothing may change. Are you angry with God? Much may not change, He will continue showing you love and care.

When angry with God, God will in one way or another come and rectify issues, Jonah 4:4. God will answer our questions. God will directly or indirectly reply. God will answer us using someone, situations, etc. He will appear in ways least expected. Are you angry with God? Expect him to respond to the particular contentious issues.

When angry with God, expect that the final challenge will be on our side, not His. He will leave us to decide. God clarified issues and left Jonah to make up his mind, Jonah 4:11. God does not engage in an argument with us forever, Genesis 6:3. God will not engage us in a grudge and bottled-up anger, He will make Himself clear and leave us to make up our minds. Are you angry with God? The ball will soon be on your court as God makes His position clear and waits for you to decide.

Are you angry with God? Accept it. Do not pretend that all is well. Express it to Him only. He will still care for you. He will respond to you. Do not be angry forever, resolve the issues as soon as possible. May our relationship with God get better after each bout of anger, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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