Feeling Sorry for God

At the Calvary Chapel Senior Pastor's Conference in 2005, Bob Coy delivered a message called, "Loving God First."  One of the questions he asked made me think:  "Do you ever feel sorry for God?"  God did so much for His people.  He heard their cries and delivered them from slavery and bondage.  Yet they forsook the LORD and went after idols.  Pastor Bob read from Jeremiah 2:2-5:  "Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says the LORD: "I remember you, the kindness of your youth, the love of your betrothal, when you went after Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. ³ Israel was holiness to the LORD, the firstfruits of His increase. All that devour him will offend; disaster will come upon them," says the LORD.' " ⁴ Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel. ⁵ Thus says the LORD: "What injustice have your fathers found in Me, that they have gone far from Me, have followed idols, and have become idolaters?"

In a sense, I do feel sorry for God.  He deserves only the best, and sometimes His people can do the worst.  But unlike men who have been wronged, God does not feel sorry for Himself.  He does not have divine "pity parties" when we do not meet expectations because nothing surprises Him, nor is He self-focused.  He is altogether loving, gracious, and good.  He hears our cries and forgives the repentant and contrite.  Jesus Christ is God made flesh, come to earth to demonstrate God's love for sinners.  This fallen, cursed world cannot be redeemed, but every person in whom God has breathed a living soul can - through repentance and trusting in Jesus.  Some look at the suffering on this earth and think in some way it reflects badly upon God.  The exact opposite is true.  This world is under the curse of sin and will surely perish, and only in God can we be made righteous and saved for eternity.  God stands in holy contrast to all the wickedness, injustice, and pain of this earth.

God allows suffering, and did not insulate Himself from the worst.  Jesus suffered like no man before or since, especially since He was completely righteous and without sin.  God allows people to experience the severe consequences of sin - pain, suffering, sorrow, disease, sadness and death - to bring them to their senses so they might repent and find rest and comfort in Him.  Unfortunately, all the suffering in the world cannot force a person to see their need for repentance and salvation.  The book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ speaks of great plagues people on the earth will face and how their hearts will only be hardened against God and hate Him even more.  Revelation 9:29-21 says, "But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. ²¹ And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts."  God chastens those He loves, and it is awful so many of the souls Christ died to save will ultimately refuse and reject His atoning sacrifice to their own destruction.

It is one thing to feel sorry, but another thing altogether to take intentional steps to do what is right.  Feeling sorry is an exercise in helplessness if that is where it ends.  Feeling sorry is not enough.  Because of what Jesus has done - not because of what we or others have not done - we ought to love God completely, serve God faithfully, speak of Him boldly, obey Him faithfully, and trust Him loyally.  Ten good things which happen to us in a day can be easily overthrown by one bad thing.  Yet God is not so inconstant.  His delight in those who love and obey Him is not tempered by the fact many have and will reject Him.  He is not looking for sympathy, but hearts responding positively to His love.  When we walk in the way which fully pleases God it does not right all wrongs.  Jesus has already done that!  Our response is to be compelled by the love of Jesus, not guilt or sorrow that God has been slighted.  We are not responsible to change others, but we are responsible before God to cooperate in being transformed according to His perfect will.  Rejoice believer, not in your progress or efforts, but in God who loves you, has delivered you, is saving you, and He will be faithful to complete the work He has begun.