Trusting In God When Life Doesn’t Make Sense
by Jill Newman
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
Following the difficult birth of my daughter, I became very sick. The doctors couldn’t identify what was wrong with me as I lay in the hospital for 5 days, having only limited contact with my little girl. They debated moving me into ICU, but instead had a nurse sit in my room day and night, watching me closely. At the end of the week, I had improved enough to be sent home with my beautiful baby girl. The doctors, although never coming to a diagnosis, felt confident I would continue to heal and be back to perfect health soon.
They were wrong. For the next 30 years, I would continue to fight off some kind of odd mystery illness that left me exhausted much of the time. It was the equivalent of having a bad flu off and on for years.
My spiritual health also suffered for years. Why would a loving God allow His child to suffer for so long? I know He can heal. I know He does heal, so why not me?
Maybe you have a parent or sibling struggling with chronic health challenges. Perhaps your family has been touched by the current pandemic. Or maybe your family is under financial stress due to a parent being out of work. You may find that your friendships have faltered due to a lack of face to face contact under the current lock down.
We will all face times of doubt as we struggle to understand what God could possibly be thinking, allowing us to endure times of trial.
I heard of a man who went rock climbing one day. One misstep led to another and soon he was clinging for his life on a small outcropping of rock. Seeing no way up or down, he cried out, “God, please save me!”
Incredibly, a voice from heaven called down to him, “Simply let go of the rock, my child, and you will float gently to the ground.”
The man paused for a moment and then responded, “Is there anyone else up there?”
This humorous tale is a reminder that we have a choice in whom we decide to trust. We can either trust God or we can trust ourselves. Times of trial expose the condition of our hearts. Are we willing to trust God, in spite of not knowing all the ins and outs of His plan, or will we be the god of our own lives because we only have confidence in the things we can understand.
So how can we have confidence in One we can’t see or hear? Colossians 1:15-17 gives an excellent reason! “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him. He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together.”
Pretty impressive credentials, don’t you think? He has always existed, He made everything on earth and Heaven, and He holds all creation together! Wow! I certainly can’t compete with that. He definitely deserves to sit on the throne of my heart and He is MORE than qualified to be trusted, even when I don’t understand the reasons behind His plan. And, the best part is, He loves me!
I may never completely know this side of Heaven what God was thinking when He chose not to heal me. We may not know why He allowed a pandemic to wreak havoc across the world causing not just sickness and death, but also great financial loss to so many. However, by putting my complete trust in Him, in spite of incomplete understanding, I know He will make my paths straight because He will be walking beside me all the way.
Reflect: Colossians 1 is just the beginning of why God can be trusted with any trial you may be facing. Brainstorm with your friends and/or family a list of God’s awesome attributes that are found in the Bible. Post this list on a mirror or the refrigerator to remind yourself why He can always be trusted.
Memorize: Proverbs 3:5-6