6/23/2025 Daily Devotion: Frustrated By God's Response?

Hebrews 5:7-8 - “7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.”

Have you ever been frustrated by God’s response (or seemingly lack of a response!) to your passionate prayers? Does it ever feel like He’s not listening? I know I have. That’s why I find theses verses in Hebrews 5 so very ENCOURAGING!

• Jesus prayed PASSIONATELY that God would spare Him from His impending death … but He still died. This was JESUS praying!! And God responded with GOD’s WILL for Jesus … which was for Him to die … AND THEN RETURN TO LIFE IN ULTIMATE VICTORY OVER DEATH & SIN IN THE GREATEST SINGLE MOMENT IN ALL OF HUMAN HISTORY!!

God. Hears. You.

• He hears your passionate pleas … He does. His Will for you is VICTORY over your suffering… but that Victory may require obedience THROUGH that suffering instead of removal from the suffering.

• He PROMISES to work all things (including your present sufferings!) together FOR. YOUR. GOOD.

• Our biggest challenge? … we don’t really & fully TRUST GOD when we can’t see or understand His Ways.

• TRUST. HIS. PROMISES. … God HEARS you. God is WITH you. God is for your GOOD.

Jesus. Knows. You.

• He’s been there and He’s shown us how to OBEY GOD through our suffering.

• Be in RELATIONSHIP with God … Jesus walked with, talked with & communed with God EVERY DAY. It is easier to Trust God in difficult times when we already KNOW GOD!

• Be HONEST with God … You don’t have to know the right answers all the time! You don’t have to always make the right decisions! You aren’t always going to feel great about what is going on! … and that is OK! … take your questions, concerns, fears, struggles, confusion, anger, grief & pain TO GOD, don’t hide it from Him in an effort to appear “more Christian”!

• OBEY God … End every encounter with God as Jesus modeled for us … “Your Will be done, not mine” … and then ACTUALLY OBEY His response! TRUST your life in His Hands by following His Call in your life.

Hopefully you find Jesus’ interactions with God as encouraging and inspiring as I do today.