Frustration – The devil or divine?

Sometimes we view frustrating set backs as the Devil, a failure of our devotion, skills, or even of heaven’s willingness to respond to our prayers. But in truth God has always frustrated the plans of man, marching only to the pace of His own divine purposes for us.

Just look…

God frustrated Adam and Eve by letting them eat from every tree, except that nice juicy one in the centre of the garden.
God frustrated Cain, by viewing Abel’s sacrifice with more favour than his own.
God frustrated Abraham by taking an incredibly long time to fulfil His promise of an heir.
God frustrated Joseph by allowing him to go through rejection, slavery and imprisonment.
God frustrated Moses by not allowing him into the Promised Land.
God frustrated Gideon by telling him to send most of his troops away.
God frustrated David by not allowing him to build the temple he longed to.
God frustrated Jonah by making him look with grace on people he personally disliked!
God even frustrated Jesus by not allowing him to start ministry at aged 12, even though he longed “to be about his Fathers business”.

I guess I’m trying to remind us that negatives are sometimes God at work. It would seem that frustrating our ego, our plans or our desire to feel in control, is one of God’s most common character building and “destiny-preparing” tools. He allows loss, rejection, delay, disappointment, reduction, pruning, failure, persecution, mistakes and brokenness to bring us to repentance, humility, maturity and trust.

One day we will understand everything, but for now we must remember that frustration may not mean something is amiss – it may actually be God’s divine master-plan at work!

“Many are the plans in a mans heart, but it is the will of the Lord that prevails” Proverbs 19:21