“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.” (Psalm 34:17-19 NIV)
God understands our anger, and when we pray, it’s a good thing to tell Him what we honestly feel. But sustained bitterness toward the Lord who loves us is irrational and unwise.
In fact, in 1999 the “Journal of Health Psychology” reported an interesting study. Social psychologist Julie Joula-Exline and her team of researchers found a link between anger toward God and anxiety and depression. Those who couldn’t get beyond their resentment toward God were more likely to experience problems with negative emotions. The good news, according to Juola-Exline, was that “those who were able to forgive God for a specific, powerful incident reported lower levels of anxiety and depression.”
“Forgiving God” is a term I’d rather avoid. It implies that God has done something wrong that requires our pardon. We should underline the statement that by perfection of His nature, God will not and cannot do wrong. What seems like misdeed is mystery. The important thing to remember is that His love and compassion are perfect, unbroken, and forever.
-- David Jeremiah in “Keep the Faith: How to Stand Strong in a World Turned Upside Down”
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