Relent, Lord! How long will it be?
    Have compassion on your servants.
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
    that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    for as many years as we have seen trouble.
May your deeds be shown to your servants,
    your splendor to their children.
Psalm 90:13-16

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Have you ever cried “foul?” Kids do it all the time on the playground. Basketballers, footballers, even pickleballers do it. You’ve probably done it while playing board games, working with colleagues, or when someone sits in your assigned seat.

Crying foul is part of life. If we think someone broke a rule, we cry foul. If we get dinged by someone, we cry foul. Sometimes we’re right, and sometimes we’re wrong, but it’s okay to cry “foul” and see where it goes. But here’s a bigger question: “Is it okay to cry foul with God?”

When I face a crisis, I sometimes have conflicting thoughts and feelings toward God. I know He’s not some cosmic referee, but my mind and heart get knotted up, and so does my faith. I wonder why the Lord is letting me go through…insert something hard to deal with here. I even wonder why God is making it happen in the first place. And honestly, I wonder if I’m allowed to cry foul with Almighty God or not.

The Psalms let us know that it’s okay to go to our Heavenly Father about anything. God doesn’t turn His back when we yell at Him for seeming far away. He doesn’t shut us down for questioning His judgment about the way things are going in the world. He doesn’t tell us not to cry foul when we are upset about challenges we’re facing, injustices we’re encountering, or pain we’re feeling. He can handle, even welcomes, our inner conflict and confusion. When it comes to crying foul, the Lord never gets thrown off by a yellow flag being tossed in His direction. He knows perfectly whether a foul occurred or didn’t and loves us either way.

You and I can lean into passages like Psalm 90:13-16 because it’s okay to cry foul with God. It’s good to identify with others who cried out to and challenged Him just like we do today. No matter what we face or feel, the Lord is faithful and trustworthy. Today, you and I can cry foul and know for sure that our conflict within can’t push away God’s unfailing love and compassion when we need it most.

Next Steps

When have you faced a challenge in life and cried foul? If you wrestled with God about it, what happened? How did you feel inside before and after? Consider discussing these questions with a friend or your small group this week.

Do you want to learn how to handle conflict better? Join Willow’s 21-day cohort, Handling Conflict Better, by signing up here.