Breakdown Because of Lock-Down

Last night, I watched a video that went viral of a cute little girl who eloquently articulated her frustrations, exclaiming, “Everything in this world has to shut down.” She then listed her favorite places that were locked down, including the ice cream shop and the place where she got the gummy drops that she really liked. Her annoyance was palpable as she expressed her disgust at McDonald’s being closed. The gentleman behind the camera tried to reason with her that the drive thru was open, but she said it wasn’t. You see, for her McDonald’s was about the playground, not just the food. Now she had no place to play, therefore she was bored waiting for her food. With no playground, in her mind McDonald’s was closed even though the drive thru was open. This beautiful child felt that it was not fair that everything fun had to be shut down for people not to get sick. And, “The only thing that is open is nothing.” She couldn’t even go to the “real church” where she could get candy and toys.

While watching this, I immediately thought of how many of us adults have a similar breakdown when things aren’t going our way. I sure have. On numerous occasions, I have expressed my dissatisfaction to God as to how He is going about running my life and have offered Him my opinion as to how He could do better. Don’t tell me you haven't done this even once? Come on now, let’s confess our sins to one another and pray for each other so that we may be healed. Telling of my frustrations may not seem like sinning, but complaining can lead to a whole host of problems.

Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the Lord; and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of God Himself the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. Numbers 11:1

This makes me rethink all the complaining I have been doing. Even Job, through all the trials he was experiencing, understood that his complaining was against God’s will even in the midst of his troubles.

Then Job replied, “Even today my complaint is rebellion; His hand is heavy despite my groaning. Job 23:1-2

We may believe that Job had a right to complain, having been dealt a bad hand. But, truly what stands out to me in the Book of Job, is not that he got “double for his trouble,” which so many people like to highlight, but that throughout this book the vastness and greatness of God is expounded on like no other book in the Bible. This really struck me recently when I was reading a passage about the might of God and I thought it was the Psalms, but when I checked, it was Job. As Job and his friends reflected on the vicissitudes of his fortune, their pontifications were inextricably intertwined with attestations of the magnificence of God. God Himself spoke of His mighty power, asking Job:

“Have you entered into the springs of the sea Or walked in the recesses of the deep? “Have the gates of death been revealed to you, Or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? “Have you understood the expanse of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this. Job 38:16-18

After quite a bit of chiding and questioning from the Lord, Job finally had the chance to respond.

Then Job answered the Lord and said, “I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” ‘Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me.’ “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You; Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:1-6

There comes a time when we need to retract and repent for all the complaining we may have done. I know that you may be pointing to David who continuously brought his complaints before the Lord. I would encourage you to read the Psalms in which he complained to the Lord. You will see that he never lost respect for who the Lord is and what He can do. He understood God’s ability to save him when he called upon Him. Sometimes when we complain, we make the problem bigger than God as we take on all of life’s burdens. David knew that we should cast our burden upon the Lord and He will sustain us as He never allows the righteous to be shaken. (See Psalm 55:22). On the other hand, we may look at the shaking instead of the Lord.

In Psalm 31, although David came to God with a list of all that distressed him, he never stopped telling the Lord about His goodness as he made his plea for help.

Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth. I hate those who regard vain idols, But I trust in the Lord. I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness, Because You have seen my affliction; You have known the troubles of my soul, And You have not given me over into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a large place. Psalm 31:5-8

David submitted himself and his situation to God. He rejoiced in the Lord while being afflicted and gave Him thanks for keeping him from the hand of his enemy. If the Israelites had learned to bring their complaints to the Lord with praise and thanksgiving instead of murmuring about Him, they probably would not have spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness and having a whole generation wiped out before reaching the Promised Land, which in Jamaican terminology was “jus roun di corner.” The promise was at hand, but their foot was in their mouth all the time. So although the land was close by, their attitude kept them out of it.

The distresses associated with COVID-19, can be quite frustrating. But, our rants like that of a cute 4 year old is not pleasing to our Lord. We complain about not going to our church buildings. But why? Is it because we are not getting our metaphorical “candy and toys.” Too often we go to church to get something for ourselves, rather than giving worship to our Lord. Sometimes the person who serves the most in church does it to be seen and praised, and has little time to really commune with God. When we are told that we can go to church, but we must wear a mask, then some ask, “How can we praise God with a mask on?” We are the ones who have hears, but are not discerning what God is doing spiritually. God is not deaf.

Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house. Ezekiel 12:2

We like Job, must come to a point where we understand that many of our complaints are basically rebellion. God has been calling us to Himself. While we are saying, “Woe is me,” He has been wooing us, coming to knock at our door, but many of us have been so busy complaining we have not let Him in. We have not praised Him in our affliction or given Him thanks for saving us from all that is going on in the world. Rather, we have exaggerated, saying, “All that is open is nothing.” Sinking deeper and deeper in the quagmire created by our thoughts that nothing good is happening, we miss God’s blessings in the crisis. We focus on not having a place to “play,” when we are in line waiting on His provision, which is coming.

At this time, we need to switch focus from the problem and even the provision to the Provider who is a Promise Keeper. We don't need to have a breakdown when everything locks down because He promised He won’t leave us or forsake us, and He is not a man that He should lie. Let us trust in who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do, while giving Him all the praise and all the glory.