The Weekly Word - A Devotion for the Week of June 28
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Have you ever been frustrated by a situation that seemed to persist no matter what? Maybe you were stuck in a dead-end job with no future prospects in sight. Perhaps your relationship with your spouse or partner felt like it was stagnating. Or maybe you were mired in an ongoing disagreement with your child or a friend and couldn’t seem to find common ground.
Whatever the particular circumstances, you undoubtedly wondered why your situation remained unchanging, in spite of all your efforts. Maybe you even wondered why, despite your fervent prayers, God seemed unwilling to listen or help.
It’s difficult to understand why God works in the ways He does. Our rational brains are programmed to search for concrete answers. We desire an immediate solution to the challenges we face, particularly those that are painful. And yet, God doesn’t always produce the outcomes we desire on the timeline we have in mind.
The fact is, God’s ways are beyond our comprehension. We are not privy to His big picture; we see but a tiny sliver of God’s reality. Or, as Paul put it to the Corinthians, “We see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror” (1 Corinthians 13:12) – which is exactly why trust is so important. Our incomplete knowledge and understanding force us to trust – to have faith – in the fact that God is always acting in our best interests, even when we can’t yet see the results.
Someday, Paul assures us, “we will know everything completely” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Someday all the missing pieces will fall into place. Until then, we lean on God, trusting that always and in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him.
Good and gracious God, I am sometimes frustrated by Your seeming lack of action, especially when I am desperate for You to change my circumstances. And yet, I do believe that You are always working on my behalf, even when I cannot yet see the results. I trust You. Amen.