When the Israelites saw the Egyptian army approaching them at the Red Sea, they became angry at God. Their faith in him, rekindled by their newfound freedom, evaporated in the dry heat of impending doom.
God did not ridicule the Israelites for their disbelief.
He did not punish them for their insolence. He did not respond to their anger and cynicism with pique and petulance. He did not deem the Israelites unworthy of rescue because they exhibited imperfect faith in the face of danger.
Instead, God followed through with his plan to return the Israelites to their ancestral homeland. He parted the Red Sea and dried a path across the seabed that was broad enough to evacuate millions of people and their animals.
Why? Because God had obligated himself to come to their aid, and his commitment was not conditioned on their correct response to adversity.
The same is true for us.
No matter how long we have walked in harmony with God, distress can turn our affection for him into anger and incite cynicism about his existence, goodness, and relevance.
Fortunately, God’s promise of aid is not conditioned on our correct response to suffering. He remains ready to help us despite our bitterness. All we must do is take steps to access his aid.
We must realign our view of God with his self-revelation, as disclosed in nature and the Bible, confess our distrust, accept his forgiveness, and resume our effort to walk in harmony with him.
