The Offended Heart

King Asa 2 Chronicles King of Judah, 910 to 870 BCE Trusted God for an amazing victory Prophetic word and revival Quick-thinking stopped Israelite invasion Prophetic correction received poorly Turned away from God The Offended Heart Something changed when King Asa was corrected.

Sick and tired of being sick and tired of following God, I headed into the wilderness. Alone on an Island, I set my heart to stay until God showed up and revealed himself to me. The Offended Heart I didn’t get much new direction from God, but he revealed a problem in my heart.

The Offended Heart Hebrews 11:6 – “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.” The Problem Of Offense “To be offended” means “to have feelings of resentment or indignation, to be hurt or upset.” To become frustrated, disillusioned, disappointed with God. To be unsure that God really is good and really does want the best for me.

The Offended Heart How Do We Get Offended? We have inaccurate expectations for God.

The Offended Heart Proverbs 13:12 – “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.” How Do We Get Offended? Impatience (when God moves to slowly) Psalm 37:4 – “Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you your heart’s desires.”

The Offended Heart Isaiah 25:8 – “He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign LORD will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against His land and people. The LORD has spoken!” How Do We Get Offended? Judgment (when God acts strangely) Jeremiah 29:11 – “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the LORD. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’”

The Offended Heart Ezekiel 36:25-27 – “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put My Spirit in you so that you will follow My decrees and be careful to obey My regulations.” God’s Plan is to Heal the Offended Heart To allow offense in the heart is like planting a seed that will eventually grow to suck the joy out of life. Proverbs 4:23 – “‘Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”

The Offended Heart A Quick Self-Examination Can you say, “God is really good, has my best interests at heart, and is bringing me through a life of joy”? Do you jump at the chance to give yourself more fully to God, to his family, and to the things that he is doing, or are you hesitant of more involvement and vulnerability? When you think about something you want that God has promised you, do you find yourself asking, “God, why are you withholding this from me? Why?” Do you respond to the people of God as if they are your closest family, or do you feel envious of them and of what God has done through, in, or for them? Is your walk with God marked by a deep joy, or do you go through the motions as if working for a taskmaster?

The Offended Heart The Key to Healing is in the Eyes Matthew 6:22-23 – “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!” If the eye is good… We are attracted to Jesus as our greatest treasure. If the eye is bad… We are attracted to other things as greater pleasures (OFFENDED!).

The Offended Heart The Key to Healing is in the Eyes 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 – “But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.” We first SEE and then REFLECT.

The Offended Heart Steps to Healing 1.ASK the Holy Spirit to show you if you’re offended at him. 2.ADMIT to God that you’re offended at him and why. 3.REPENT for choosing to be offended at God. 4.THANK God for how he is good. 5.PRAY for God’s healing in your heart.