How to Trust When You Don't Understand

The Christian walk is a walk of faith. We put one foot in front of the other and sometimes we can’t see our hand in front of our face, but we keep walking because we know the one who leads us.

But what about when that’s too hard?

Sometimes life brings us situations and trials that we don’t understand. I don’t have to look very far to see so much sin, and pain. So many completely devastating and seemingly unfair situations.

So how do we keep trusting when we don’t understand?

There is one simple thing that has helped me so many times to keep trusting, even in the face of trials and uncertainties.

Remember Who God is.

Psalm 104 is such a beautiful expression of God’s splendor and power.

The God I serve is the one who is clothed with majesty and splendor. Who wears light as if it were a robe, who makes the clouds His chariot.

The God I serve established the earth on it’s foundations. At His rebuke the waters fled. Every single living creature on this earth is completely dependent upon Him for food, water, and life. He breathes life and things are created. He takes it away they die and return to dust.

“How countless are Your works, Lord! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.” (Psalm 104:24)

“He looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they pour out smoke.” (Psalm 104: 32)

This is only a small sampling. I really recommend that you read the whole Psalm.

We serve a mighty God. I was recently reading in the OT in an obscure little passage where God miraculously provided water to men and animals. It was described as being “a small thing” to God. The big miracles to us are small things to Him.

1. God is all-powerful

As I was reading in Job recently a line really struck me. Job was talking about how God created the heavens and earth in Job 26. After spending the chapter talking about the awesome creative power of God, Job finishes by saying this,”Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways.”

The most amazing things that we can look around and see are the mere edges of His ways.

This was so comforting to me! God is bigger, more powerful, and wiser than we can imagine. His word says that He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think.

We cannot fully comprehend His greatness.

His ways are not our ways. And I’m so glad that His ways are greater than mine.

There was a country song years ago that said, “I thank God for unanswered prayers.” And, regardless of the theology of unanswered prayers, I think that most of us can relate to that statement to some extent. When I was a younger I remember praying specifically for some things that seemed good at the time, but would have been very, very bad for me had the Lord granted those requests.

His ways are not our ways. And that’s a good thing. His ways are higher, wiser, better.

2. God is Faithful.

I have been so very blessed in reading through the Old Testament. Stories that I’ve read many times before have come alive in a new way as I have been reading through them more quickly (i.e. reading through a story in one day rather than a chapter at a time).

God is faithful. He has proven over and over again–both in Biblical times, and in my own life–that He is faithful.

Psalm 37:25 says, “I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,”

If I lived to be 1,000 years old, I would never see God forsake His people because it just wouldn’t happen. The Isrealites turned from God and His ways time and time again, and while some people did experience judgment because of it, God had such grace and mercy for His people. He was faithful to provide for their needs with manna and water in the desert. He was faithful to provide for spiritual needs in the form of the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus Christ, to provide a way that we could be in fellowship with Him.

No matter the current trial that I may not understand, I know that my God is faithful to lead me through it. He will not leave me nor forsake me. His grace is sufficient for every trial.

3. God loves me and His intentions are good toward me.

I talked about this with a friend recently. So many things that happen in this fallen, broken world just aren’t good. We suffer through pain and trials and the consequences of sin–both our own and those around us. Sometimes it feels like the weight of that pain could destroy me if I let it, and I’m like Solomon in Ecclesiastes thinking that it would be best yet to have never been born into such a broken world.

But, even in the midst of pain, we have promises.

Romans 8 is one of my favorite chapters to read. So much promise and good news in that chapter. Romans 8:28 says that all things work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. This verse is quoted so often that I think sometimes we just gloss it over and don’t really think about it. Let it sink in today.

That verse goes on to say, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” These are the kinds of Good things God has in store for us (being conformed to the image of His son, and being called, justified, and glorified).

Think about this today. Let it sink in that no matter what pain or trial comes in your life, the Lord is sovereign and He is using it for your good and for His glory.

[For more things to remember in tough times, see this post]

Remember that we have hope and promise

No matter how bad this old world gets–and it seems to be getting worse everyday–we have hope. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

I don’t think Paul is minimizing suffering when he says “our light affliction.” This is a man who had suffered a lot. He had been beaten, stoned, imprisoned. He had seen friends and colleagues in ministry who were killed for their faith. Yet even through all of the pain and loss he’d suffered, he knew that the promise and Hope we have in Christ Jesus was so much bigger than any of the pain.

So, in a sentence…how do we trust when we don’t understand? I remember who God is and what He has promised me.

Continue reading here: Children Are A Blessing From The Lord.

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