Aggravating God - Martin Wiles

Then the Lord said, “I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are.” Exodus 32:9 NLT

I’ve heard about it and read about it, but never experienced it firsthand.

Of late, my wife has been going through emotional changes normal for her age of life. Knowing this doesn’t make it any easier for me to cope. I find it difficult to do anything right. 

I wipe my nasty shoes off before entering the house, but I never do a good job. I don’t take the trash out at the right moment. I forget to unscrew the top of my coffee cup. When I finally mastered that task, I forgot to pour out the remaining coffee and put the cup in the dishwasher. I waste powder on the bathroom floor when I should wipe it up with a towel. 

When we first married, these and other things didn’t bother her. Or if they did, she kept quiet or instructed me with a loving tone. Now the tone has changed. One moment she can use that same sweet voice but the next use an angry and aggravated tone that seems to come from a different person.

Initially, I responded to her demands with anger, aggravation, and accusations. Then I tried to show understanding, knowing she couldn’t help her emotional outbursts. She aggravated herself as much as she did me.

One thing I never did—regardless of how hard I bit my tongue—was stop loving or caring for her. What she is going through is a part of life and will pass. My love for her is permanent.

So was God’s for the nation of Israel—as much as they aggravated Him with their disobedience. He delivered them from four hundred years of slavery in Egypt. On the way to the Promised Land, they stopped at Mount Sinai for Moses their leader to receive the Ten Commandments and other laws. 

While he was on the mountain obtaining God’s Word, the people down below were rebelling. God classified them as stubborn, rebellious, and stiff-necked. But one thing He never did was stop loving them.

God loves because it’s His nature to do so. Our failures and sins aggravate and disappoint Him, but He continues to pursue our wellbeing—emotionally, spiritually, and physically. He lovingly convicts and draws us back to the right way, wanting us to realize He knows what’s best for us.

Don’t ever fear that your failures will drive God away. He’s as near as your next prayer.

Tell us what makes you feel like a failure.

Tweetable: Do you feel like a failure?

Prayer: Father, thank You for continuing to love us in spite of our many failures.

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