Smoky wisps of fog wrap their fingers through the goldenrod as I sit by the window in prayer. I’ve been distracted lately, and I feel like I haven’t been giving God the undivided attention he desires. A familiar question runs through my mind: Is God angry with me for neglecting my relationship with him?
Summer days are full in these parts.
I rarely find a quiet moment in this house filled with life and activity.
Life has me stretched thin, and by the end of most days, I’m running on fumes.
I imagine you know all about the rhythm of the ragged. Maybe you’ve felt guilty for neglecting your relationship with God, but you’re not sure how to carve more minutes into your full days to meet with him.
You stare at the ceiling fan as you lie in your bed at night, and you ask the same question:
Is God angry with me?
Do you ever wonder if God is frustrated with your inability to pull yourself together? Maybe you feel like you’ve messed up so many times that he’s probably rolling his eyes and saying, “I can’t believe she’s doing this again.” You might envision him looking at you with a disappointed scowl.
In my early twenties, after years of living in a way that didn’t bring glory to God, I imagined God was probably disappointed and frustrated with me. I imagined he was ready to give up on me and invest his attention in holier, more spiritual people.
As I sought the truth regarding God’s plans for my life—and as I humbled myself with a repentant heart—God led me to a passage of Scripture that changed my life forever.
The book of Hosea offers a powerful demonstration of God’s unending love for each one of us. Hosea shared his message at a time when God’s people had been worshiping idols and intentionally living in sin. We might expect God to turn away in disgust; instead, he responds to their wayward wandering by alluring them back into his arms.
Hosea 2:14 reads, “Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her” (NIV). The New Living Translation reads, “But then I will win her back once again” (Hosea 2:14 NLT).
God isn’t mad at you.
This truth blows me away! Far from being angry with us, God sees us, understands us more fully than we understand ourselves, and loves us anyway. When we wander away from him—due to busy lives or even willful sin—God isn’t condemning us; instead, he is tenderly calling us back into his arms.
Imagine a husband picking flowers for his unfaithful wife in an effort to win her back. Instead of rejecting her in disgust, he is looking for ways to woo his bride. This is exactly what God does when we wander away from him. He considers how He can draw us back into his love.
It’s worth noting that sometimes, God calls us back to his love through difficult consequences. He disciplines us because he loves us. In the same way a good parent disciplines a child, God disciplines us because he loves us, not because he’s mad at us.
The same God who searches for ways to allure us from our sin is faithful to fight for us in every circumstance. It might feel like the world has turned against you today. You might feel defeated by others, defeated by your own sin, or worn down by the weight of the world. Don’t lose heart. God is with you. He is always for you, and he is pursuing you with his good gifts.
Let’s take a moment to reflect on our perception of God.
Close your eyes and imagine Jesus’ face as he looks upon you. What expression do you see in his eyes? Does this expression align with his character in Hosea 2:14?
How does the image of God pursuing you change the way you perceive this part of your life?
God is showering you with gifts.
God’s gifts are visible reminders that he is for you, and they are one way He pursues you.
I encourage you to set aside a few minutes and list twenty gifts from God today.
Fill your list with simple blessings like the sound of songbirds, friendly greetings from neighbors, kind words from friends, warm meals, and a comfortable home.
Spend a few minutes thanking God for his gifts and imagining the warm expression on his face as you bask in the appreciation of his goodness.
God is with you. He is always for you, and he is pursuing you with his good gifts.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Stacey Pardoe
Featured Image by Anja from Pixabay
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