....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
When We Don’t Understand What God is Doing
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.
.
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.
.
We can let the mystery of God bolster our doubt
or buoy our wonder. When you feel anxious about what you don’t understand
today, praise God for who you know Him to be.
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)
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. He had whispered a promise to my heart and confirmed it
through His Word, wise counsel and prayer.
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 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.
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.” (VOICE)
Job 11:7, “Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can
you probe the limits of the Almighty?” (NIV)
CONNECT
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.
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!
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.
https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2020/03/24/when-we-dont-understand-what-god-is-doing
You might also like:
It Is Well With My
Soul
Lyrics by : Horatio
G. Spafford
Music by : Philip P.
Bliss (Ville du Havre)
CLICK HERE . . . to view complete playlist . .
.
https://puricarechronicles.blogspot.com/2019/12/it-is-well-with-my-soul-ville-du-havre.html
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................
The amazing story and faith behind this famous
song
CLICK HERE . . . to view . . .
https://puricare.blogspot.com/2016/06/springs-spring-is-result-of-aquifer.html
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 
