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When We Don’t Understand What God is Doing
God sees more than we
can see - He knows more than we know - He works in ways beyond our
comprehension - and if we agree to follow Him only when we understand what He’s
doing, we’ll always stop short of experiencing His inexplicable wonders
Alicia Bruxvoort
“As you do not
know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child,
so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.” Ecclesiastes
11:5 (ESV)
“God, I can’t figure out what You’re doing!” I cried after receiving a discouraging phone call on
my drive home from the grocery store.
Years
before, God had invited me to trade my plans for His.
Believing
His promise demanded faith, I had said “yes” and followed in obedience.
At
first, following God’s plan felt exhilarating. My prayer journal read like a grand
tale of God’s greatness.
But
then, the journey began to look different than I’d imagined.
The
road was filled with more potholes than I’d anticipated, and as I let God
direct my steps, it seemed He was leading me to the middle of nowhere, rather
than in the direction of a promise fulfilled.
I
didn’t doubt God’s presence, but I questioned His plans.
My
enthusiasm waned. My confidence trembled.
On
my good days, I felt optimistic and persistent.
On
my bad days, I felt angry and confused. And on that evening when a phone call
sunk my hope, I felt helpless and stuck.
Veering
into an empty parking lot, I let my tears splatter onto the steering wheel.
“Could You just show me what You’re doing, Lord?” I begged.
I
don’t know how long I sat there and waited for the Lord’s reply.
But
I do know there was no flash of lightning illuminating God’s brilliant plan. No
thundering voice explaining His mystifying methods.
Just
a quiet thought impressed upon my haggard heart:
“Do you want a God you can explain or a God you can
extol?”
Suddenly,
through my haze of tears, I recognized an uncomfortable truth: A God of
infinite majesty can’t be measured. A God who unleashes miracles can’t be
contained. A God whose love is eternal can’t be explained.
Perhaps that’s why Ecclesiastes 11:5 reminds us: “As
you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman
with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.”
God
sees more than we can see. He knows more than we know. He works in ways beyond
our comprehension. (Isaiah 55:8-11)
And
if we agree to follow Him only when we understand what He’s doing, we’ll always
stop short of experiencing His inexplicable wonders.
As
I sat in that parking lot with a head full of questions and a heart frayed with
disappointment, I realized we have a choice.
We
can let the mystery of God bolster our doubt or buoy our wonder.
Abraham
praised God beneath the stars — even though he didn’t understand how he’d ever
become the father of nations.
David
praised God in the wilderness — even though he didn’t understand why he was
running for his life instead of sitting on the throne.
The
Israelites praised God with a mighty shout — even though they didn’t understand
Jericho’s wall would fall without a fight.
I began
to praise God, too, because what I do know about Him is far more important than
what I don’t:
I
know God loves me, and He’ll never leave me. (John 3:16; Hebrews 13:5)
I
know He is for me and not against me. (Romans
8:31)
I
know God’s Word is true, and His heart is kind. (Psalm 33:4; Acts 14:17)
Lifting
my head from the tear-stained steering wheel, I lifted my praises to heaven.
And
gradually, my disappointments shriveled in the shadow of my swelling hope.
My
tears dried, and I headed home. Before me the road shimmered with an ethereal
glow.
Above
me, the sky melted into a stunning swirl of pink and orange. God was painting
the sunset once again.
I
don’t understand how He does it — scattering breathless beauty across the
horizon every night — but I know this: It is wondrous. Just like He is.
Dear Jesus, You’ll never fit into my finite box of
human understanding. But You’ll always fulfill my infinite need for a Savior.
Give me faith to offer You praise even when I don’t
understand Your ways.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
TRUTH
FOR TODAY
Isaiah 55:8-9, “… My intentions are not always
yours, and I do not go about things as you do. My thoughts and My ways are
above and beyond you, just as heaven is far from your reach here on earth.”
Job 11:7, “Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can
you probe the limits of the Almighty?” (NIV)
REFLECT
AND RESPOND
When
you feel anxious about what you don’t understand today, praise God for who you
know Him to be.
What
are some things you know about who God is? Share them with us in the comments
section!
Visit
Alicia Bruxvoort at her blog today for a free printable to spur you on in
praise — even when you don’t understand God’s ways.
Alicia Bruxvoort is a writer, speaker and abundant life seeker who
is passionate about helping women encounter Jesus wherever they are. For more
than two decades Alicia has been buoying women’s hearts with words of
encouragement and biblical truth on the stage and on the page. In addition to
writing devotions for P31’s Encouragement for Today, Alicia is a
contributing author to Always There, a devotional book celebrating the
presence of God in the trenches of motherhood. And her articles on faith and
family have been featured in magazines such as Thriving Family, MomSense,
Today’s Christian Woman, and Power for Living. Alicia loves the sound of
her children’s laughter, the sight of the sky at sunset, and the feeling of
warm sand beneath her toes. A storyteller at heart, she delights in telling a
good tale, but her favorite story is the one she lives daily in Holland,
Michigan, with her five kids and her husband of 26 years.
Proverbs 31 Ministries is a non-denominational, non-profit Christian ministry
that seeks to lead women into a personal relationship with Christ, with
Proverbs 31:10-31 as a guide.
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