As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. Ecclesiastes 11:5 NIV
Have you ever had something in your life that you just couldn’t figure out? I know I have. There have been some situations, which have occurred to me personally or people I love that left me asking God “why”. I have witnessed friends go through trials that seemed at the time beyond God’s repair (they really weren’t) and I kept wondering how God could possibly “work all things for good”.
Then I remember this verse. I remember how the tornado that devastated our town a decade ago escaped every weatherperson’s predictions. No one knew it was coming. There was no warning, but as much physical damage was done, not one life was lost. No one could explain it.
I think about watching a child being born and witnessing the miracle of God clearly unfold before my eyes. How could this perfect child have grown so lovely within his mother’s womb? I’ll never understand it.
That’s the way it is with certain situations in life as well. How do we explain them? We can’t. How can we understand them? We can’t. What we can know is that there is a God who understands, a God who cares, and a God we can trust.
Our mission as followers of Christ is not to understand all God’s ways, because we will not be able to in this life. Our mission is to trust the God whose ways are so much higher than ours.
What is it you have a hard time understanding in life?
I've lived this for years and still don't really understand.
My life and marriage was a mess for years. I'd cry out to God daily; why? I was frustrated at His apparent lack of answers or help. We were never abandoned, but there was always just enough; never extra and never any feeling of relief. Then my wife finally drew a line in the sand with our relationship and I sought counseling. I finally realized that I had really gotten away from walking as God wanted me to walk with Him. I've turned that around and my relationship with Him is better and more meaningful and I see more clearly His hand in my life.
But, my wife is still headed for a possible separation and my job is still frustrating and I am still left wondering why. I used to feel that it really didn't make any difference what I did or how much I gave or how good I was…I could just show up and the result would be the same as if I had given my all to any situation. When He worked in my heart and I saw the error of my way, I really expected that things would change for the better as I learned to walk with Him more closely. I suppose in some ways that's true, but for some things like my marriage, I still feel alone and worthless. I try every day to pray for His guidance and for HIm to show me His will and I try and be a servant every day to my wife, but at the end of each day it's still as though I'm living in the past where no matter what I pray or do or how hard I try and serve Him and her, it was just a waste of time. Now I know that I am doing what I should and that the final chapter still isn't written, but I am struggling with still trying to understand His ways and what He wants from me and why, if I am doing that… which I think I am, doesn't it get better.
Jon, you are doing one thing right now a d that is being open to help and change. I pray God supernaturally restores your marriage and they God uses these days to shine His glory.
That was very good and t.rue. I have noticed that people no matter if they know tha we as humans cant figure everything out on our own, We keeps trying to and that Myself included. I know I ask myself why all the time in different situation. Perfect example, when I lost my grandma I kept asking myself why? And I knew it was her time to go home with the Lord but for the longest time kept why her.. And I know myself personality I know that God has as go through certain things in life for a reason and it makes us stronger people and better able to deal with different situations. Also, it harder for others to have that understanding especially the people that are not believer in Christ , but again it hard for some believer too. Thanks for sharing this.
Thanks Ashley. We love to ask why….and I think that we are naturally wired that way. Our goal should be to ask Who!
I was betrayed, and excommunicated by a spiritual leader for whom I had made countless sacrifices of family time etc. I did not know that it was possible to feel that much pain and still be alive. At the time the devastation was so great that I never wanted to return to church ever again. The only prayer that I really prayed for a year was, "Please God, don't make us go to church this Sunday."
We kept going to church despite our personal pain because we had older teenagers, and we felt that we could not drop the ball on their spiritual lives. Unknowingly we landed at a church that excels at ministering to broken people.
I don't have words to say how grateful that I am to that group of people for how they cared for me. I had nothing to give, and yet they constantly cared for me and prayed for me. One of their pastors, who knew what happened to us, even apologized to me for what had happened although he had nothing to do with it because he thought it would help me. It really did..
It has been five years now, and I can say that although I really don't understand some things, and never will, that God is faithful. My relationship with Him is stronger than it has ever been because it is not based on what I can accomplish for Him in ministry, but on what He has done for me. Understandably, I care about broken people more than I ever did previously.
Thanks for sharing your story. I have heard this experience so many times. I'm thankful for a restoring God…even in spite of His people's shortcomings.
I tried to figure out my Dad's death for years. Then one day the Holy Spirit came to me and impressed upon me that if my Dad had not died when and where he did, my son, daughter-in-law and grand children wouldn't be serving an unreached people group somewhere else in the world, or my daughter wouldn't be serving the Lord in Indianapolis, IN or that I would be married to the godly woman I am married to. All because of when and where my Dad died.
That has been a HUGE comfort to the pain in my life. And to think all the other people involved in that situation — my Mom and siblings — God has worked out similar plans in their lives as well. God is great!
Thank you so much Ron for posting this.
Blessings,
Dave
Thanks Dave for sharing your experience. It’s amazing to me how we all have our own stories of chasing after God, but they all come back the same in the end…He proves to be worthy of our praise. Getting to that point is hard sometimes.
I have seen brokeness in others and experienced it in my own Christian life Ron. Some of it was because of walking at odds with God and others were because others did not appreciate my heart for the radical Jesus. I have struggled with God and with faith in view of experiences but one thing I cannot deny (paraphrasing St. Paul here)! Christ Jesus died for sinners of which I am the worst. My life is better in him than not and taking pains to keep it so is worth it even when it is hard. In the West we live in a world with soft expectations of faith and a low tolerance for the mystery within the Godhead if it means any discomfort or, God forbid, suffering. We could take a few lessons from the saints of old who thought their very lives worthless if it would give glory to God and a little suffering was welcomed if Jesus Christ's glory is revealed. Pax Christi brother.
Great reply. Thanks for your challenge. The times of my greatest brokennness have been the times where I found the greatest strength in Christ. I think we are afraid of that sometimes.