How can I trust God when I cannot understand Him?
Suggested Daily Reading: Job 11: 7-12
Imagine a three year old looking with eager eyes at a container of rat poison pellets. Her Father told her not to touch them because they are bad. “They will hurt you”, he said. Should she trust her Dad? She doesn’t understand him and it seems what he told her makes no sense. She thinks anyone can see that those pellets are candies, and candies are good!
We understand that she should trust her Father. He knows far more than she does, as a three-year-old girl. Her experiences in life are very limited. Her Father knows much more. The instruction he gave her is right, even if she cannot understand it.
Like the three-year-old with her Dad, we cannot understand God either. He created us and all things. He knows infinitely more than we do. He knows what is good for us, but also what is harmful. What may look like fun “candies” may really be “poison.”
In the daily reading above, Job could not understand God and why so many terrible things suddenly happened in his life. Job’s three friends did not understand this either, even though they thought they did. No one knew about Satan’s permission to try Job’s faith at that time. But later we understand that Job’s faith and God’s grace shine more brightly through this experience. Many have experienced this same truth through different trials in their lives.
If we could fully understand the thoughts of God then we would be equal with Him! But we know that God is infinite, limitless in His wisdom and strength, far above and beyond our finite, limited understanding. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith 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).
Trust and obey! You will never be sorry if you follow the Lord and His Word.
Think of a Bible character like Abraham or Joseph or Daniel, or another who demonstrated firm faith in God. Did they experience times when they could not understand God, or that it seemed God was directing things in confusing and difficult way for them? How can a dark background of trials and afflictions cause the jewel of faith and trust to shine more brightly?