This post has been a long time coming. I struggle with this dilemma a lot and it’s one that merits a lot of conversation. What does it mean when we go through worldly dilemmas and struggles and nothing seems to change? Does God just not care? Should we just give up and never pray again? Why do we even bother pouring our heart out when that thing that we prayed so desperately for doesn’t seem to change?
The answer to this is complex and can be hard to take in during the moments of our pain. “But God’s way is best!” “Just pray and trust Him!” “Everything will all work out!” Have you heard these before? Maybe you’re going through a hard time and someone so kindly says one of these things. While they are certainly true, they can be hard to grasp while we’re in the midst of our terrible heartache. Yes, we know God’s way is best, but I’m really hurting right now. You know what, God’s plan can HURT. His way of doing things can certainly be painful and full of consequences that we don’t always understand. But do you know what holds true? Do you know what really helps me when I’m going through struggles where I feel like things can’t possible work out for the best? Knowing that God’s power is not limited to our human understanding.
“God’s power is not limited to our human understanding.”
Pretty in Plaids
We might not understand why things happen the way they do. But God sees us, hears us, and sympathizes with our pain. Our struggles do not go unnoticed. It can be so difficult to understand why certain things happen in our life, but it is truly important to recognize that God knows what He is doing. It may be hard to practice that perspective while we are going through a trial, but it is definitely one worth analyzing.
So, what do we do when God tells us no? Trust. Even when it’s hard and even when we don’t want to. Trust His plan. Know that He has ways of working things out better then we could ever imagine. His timing is better than ours and His ways are better than our ways. Take comfort in the fact that He made this world and He knows everything that is going to happen within it. Nothing will shock Him. Nothing will confuse Him. Nothing will ever throw Him off guard. Give your anxieties to Him and rest in the fact that we don’t need to stress and worry because God promises to never leave us.
We’re not going to always understand. We’re going to have doubts and think it’s the end of the world. But that’s just it, those are just our thoughts. Our human capacity for understanding doesn’t even come close to the power of God. Trust in Him and remember that He knows what He is doing.
Emily
This is such a beautiful post! I am reminded of my favorite verse, Ecclesiastes 3:11 – “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
Thank you, Erin! That verse is such a great reminder! It can be so hard to practice, but so important to understand.