How Can I Trust God When I Don’t Understand What He Allows? |
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Trusting God can be a real struggle sometimes.
Hebrews 11:1 teaches us, Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Specifically, this verse is talking about salvation and the assurance that Jesus has risen from the grave and will return for us. Early Christians were discouraged and needed to remember the faith stories of those who had gone before them. And today I have confidence and assurance that God has already come through for me from an eternal perspective through Jesus being my Savior.
However, I struggle having confidence and assurance that God is going to come through for me on this side of eternity. I love how theologian F. F. Bruce explained this: “Physical eyesight produces a conviction or evidence of visible things; faith is the organ which enables people to see the invisible order.”1 I don’t always want to leave room for the mystery of God. I want faith to operate with the speed of my eyesight. Like when I say, “I hope my keys are on the counter,” and all I have to do is look at the counter for physical confirmation that the keys are there. I am desperate for visible evidence, so faith doesn’t feel so risky.
Why would I admit all of this to you? Because I want this to be a safe place to process. And I’ve come to the realization that this kind of wrestling isn’t bad or ungodly. Actually, the first step toward learning how to surrender to God’s version of good and trust Him with all of our hearts is acknowledging our struggle. If we want to change our reality, then we have to start by admitting our reality. And I think I’m exhausted enough to finally want to learn to live the reality of truly trusting God.
Sit with that for a minute.
What if a big part of our exhaustion and anxiety around hard circumstances is that we are constantly trying to remove faith from our relationship with Him? When we trust people, we are looking for evidence we can see with our physical eyes that trusting them is safe. Faith doesn’t work that way. Faith will always make us anxious and unsure unless we are confident in the goodness of God. If we stand firm on His goodness and know everything He allows is somehow flowing from that goodness, then we will have a lot less fear in trusting Him. Faith in God means to be assured of His goodness even when what He allows doesn’t feel good, seem good, or look good right now. Faith is our confidence in what we hope for. Faith is our assurance about what we do not see.
- There will always be a gap between what we see and the full story God knows. That gap is where so many of my fearful “what if” questions come from as I look ahead and play out worst-case scenarios.
But let’s flip that. Let’s think through some what-if questions that point us toward God’s goodness instead of all the doubts that point us toward distrust. You may find it helpful to use a journal as you take time to fill in these blanks and write any additional thoughts you have. We will start with honest admissions about why it’s hard for us to trust God sometimes. But keep going. The whole exercise in this next section is leading somewhere good.
For our first what-if question, let’s address the fears tangled around our faith.
What if I wrote down each thought of distrust so they don’t stay all jumbled up inside me as a big feeling of fear and anxiety? -
I fear trusting God with ______________, because He allowed ______________ to happen in my past.
- I fear trusting God with ______________, because if He doesn’t come through for me in the way I want Him to, I will suffer ______________.
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I fear trusting God with ______________, because I don’t think God will really ______________.
- I fear trusting God with the suffering and heartbreak I’ll go through if ______________ happens, and I fear I won’t ever ______________.
What if expressing my true feelings to God is a beautiful act of trusting God?
I recently received an email from a friend who was helping me process expressing to God what I really feel. She said, “I’m reminded of a quote sometimes attributed to Sigmund Freud: ‘Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive, and will come forth later, in uglier ways.’ The more I tried to bury my doubts, the uglier the doubts became. Acknowledging them instead of stuffing them down brought healing and new growth.” How does this tie into trust?
Well, verbalizing my doubts to Him is an expression of trust in God. If I can trust God with doubts about Him, then I can trust Him with anything. -
Try writing a little more. Fill in these blanks:
- I sometimes doubt that God will ______________, because ______________.
- I feel ______________ right now because God is (or isn’t) doing ______________.
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What I really want to see happen is ______________. And if this doesn’t happen, it will cause me to feel ______________.
- I don’t want to feel ______________, because I don’t think I could handle ______________.
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What if I looked at Scripture in a new way?
Too often, I read God’s Word to try to make sense of what I’m facing. But what if the Scriptures are really inviting us to see in part how God sees things?
Read through the following verses, and journal about those that help you see a little more of what God sees. How does that comfort you? And what part of this still concerns you? -
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” (Psalm 32:8)
- “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
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“Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:8)
- “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)
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“‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’” (Isaiah 55:8–9 NKJV)
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“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2 NASB)
- “If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” (1 John 3:20)
What if, instead of being so frustrated by what I don’t see, I let God’s Word be the lens through which I get to receive glimpses of His goodness that only those of us who suffer get to see?
Suffering can shrink our perspective. When we feel pain, we can become hyperfocused on fixing the source of the pain. We can think the only good move God could make is to take away the pain. And if that’s all we are looking for, then we will become more frustrated and distrustful of God. (See more on this in this chapter’s “One More Thing I Want You to Know” section.) But what if God’s Word can help us see how to suffer and still be certain of His goodness?
Read the verses on the next page, and use this prompt to journal after each one:
When I read this verse, I see suffering isn’t only this awful pain. - “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance.” (Romans 5:3)
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“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” (Isaiah 43:2)
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“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:13–14)
- “The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety.” (Job 5:11)
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“Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” (John 16:20)
What if, instead of doubting God’s goodness, I started cooperating with His goodness?
What does it mean to cooperate with God’s goodness? It means to notice His goodness, to call it out, and to find calming enjoyment in those small evidences. Maybe we won’t see the big miracle we keep looking for today. But we can see His goodness in other ways, right now, today.
This has become such a crucial aspect in my journey. When I don’t see any good in a tough situation I’m going through, I think His goodness can only be evidenced by Him doing something to turn that situation around or at least something to assure me He’s working on it. But I’m learning to expand my view and acknowledge His goodness in other places of my life. A lot of times I forget the small stuff is a direct result of our good Creator God. That’s what helps me experience His goodness in very tangible ways. Here are some examples of small stuff that help me remember the big reality of God’s goodness:
- the sweetness of a perfectly ripe peach
- music that calms my mind and makes me exhale
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the sun that comes out from behind a cloud and warms me on a chilly day
- lights that are strung between backyard trees, hanging above a circle of friends around a firepit
- an unexpected but truly satisfying belly laugh
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the smell of morning coffee, of my favorite flower, of my favorite dessert baking in the oven
- watching the ocean waves on a gorgeous day go just so far and then pull back inside themselves
Write down some of the evidence of the goodness of God you’re experiencing in small, everyday ways. Then write down who you could share this with or give this to. When we spread His goodness to other people, we are cooperating with His goodness to us.
What if our suffering is what reveals God’s goodness in the most intimate and personal ways? |
- David Guzik, “Hebrews 11—Examples of Faith to Help the Discouraged,” Enduring Word, 2018, https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/hebrews-11/.
Excerpted with permission from I Want to Trust You, But I Don’t by Lysa TerKeurst, copyright Lysa TerKeurst. * |
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Do Lysa’s doubts, questions, and wavering of trust in God resonate with you? Have you wondered if you could ever trust Him again after what happened to you under His care? Have you wondered why God didn’t prevent what was so hurtful in your life and been a little angry at or leery of Him? We want you to join us for our next Online Bible Study — I Want to Trust You, But I Don’t starting January 21st! Sign up today and let’s walk forward into healing and hope! ~ Devotionals Daily
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I Want to Trust You, But I Don't Online Bible Study |
I Want to Trust You, But I Don't Online Bible Study |
Having your trust broken can be life-altering, but it doesn't have to be life-ruining....
Join the FREE I Want to Trust You, But I Don't Online Bible Study with Lysa TerKeurst and learn practical & Biblical ways you can rebuild trust with God, yourself, and others. Plus, get access to 6 study videos and other Bible study resources - all free when you sign up!
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(1) Book - The companion book to the study! In Lysa’s signature style, you’ll learn practical and biblical ways to make real progress toward healthier perspectives, relationships, and a future you can authentically look forward to. The book builds on many of the themes in the study and is a helpful companion resource.
Take a closer look at the study guide & book |
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