Currently I am listening to I will sing by Don Moen
As a Christian, you’re told that every storm teaches you something but what happens when the storm doesn’t even make sense? How can something that doesn’t make sense, teach you anything?
I read a book by Lysa Terkeurst titled “What happens when Women Say Yes To God” and in a part of the book, she wrote about a woman called Beverly who had cancer but was still courageous and in her words “refuses to get swept up in the bitterness and anxiety that surely come knocking on the door of her heart”.
Beverly shared an experience on how her husband’s van had gotten spoilt on the first night of their vacation with the kids.
They had had a great day and were headed back for supper and to retire for the night when their van suddenly died.
All efforts to get it back to work were futile and after a two-and-a-half-hour-wait, they had to get a ride back to their motel in shifts because they couldn’t all fit into the car.
The next day, her husband went out to get the car fixed while she and the kids stayed back in the room and prayed.
Would they be able to fix the van?
How much would it cost?
What were they going to do without a vehicle?
But they consoled themselves, saying;
“God must have a plan”.
They fantasized over what God’s plan could be as it was obvious that theirs was ruined.
Maybe God wanted them to share Christ with the mechanic and he would give his heart to the Lord.
Maybe they would see God’s provision by the mechanic fixing the car for free.
Two days later, the van was fixed and none of what they hoped happened.
The mechanic didn’t accept Christ.
They didn’t get a free repair; they paid full.
They were poorer but not wiser.
This was a woman with cancer that loved God with all her heart and her family.
“Why, Lord, did You allow this to happen?”
This may not seem like a big deal to us but it definitely was to them.
We’ve definitely had problems that had God’s fingerprints all over them and He brought us out eventually and we learnt one or two things from them but how do you explain times when you totally relied on God for something and he “fails” you?
Problems where you really can’t see any new lesson to learn.
The problem just brought depression, shame and pain.
You’re faithful to God but he doesn’t really seem faithful at that point.
What do you do when you don’t see what God is doing in your failure and pain?
Can you trust Him regardless?
When it feels like God has failed you, are you willing to say “I really don’t know what You’re doing, but I trust You”?
Habakkuk 3:17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: 3:18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Can you trust God after it seemed like He wasn’t fair to you?
God wants us to trust Him at all times. When the chips are up and when they’re down, when He seems distant and far.
Trust His plan.
Whenever God is silent, He’s watching you.
-Apostle Joshua Selman
God wants to know if the only time you call Him “good” is when things are well with you.
Rest in God’s undying love today and find peace in His mercies for they’re new every moment.
