Why is God allowing
this? Why hasn’t He delivered us from this yet? I’ve prayed and prayed.
Whenever these questions fill my mind, I am comforted by the following truths:
God Ways are Higher Than My Ways
At times I think I know what’s best. If only God would do this and that everything would be perfect. But the truth is I don’t see things as God does. (1 Cor. 13:12) As I look at the circumstances before me, I see only one piece of the puzzle, while God see’s the whole. Just as I know what is best for my daughter, I know God knows what is best for me.
“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 55:8-9At times I think I know what’s best. If only God would do this and that everything would be perfect. But the truth is I don’t see things as God does. (1 Cor. 13:12) As I look at the circumstances before me, I see only one piece of the puzzle, while God see’s the whole. Just as I know what is best for my daughter, I know God knows what is best for me.
I love this about God because it means He can work things to good in ways I could never dream of, and can make a way when none even exists!
God Does Not Withhold Good
Though trials are no fun, God is able to bring out incredible blessings from them, we never would have experienced had not God allowed us to go through that trial in the first place. Psalm 84:11, a verse I go to whenever I am feeling discouraged within a trial, promises:
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
No good thing does God withhold from those who walk uprightly. If we are walking uprightly with the Lord, that is we are living in a way that is pleasing to the Lord, no good thing will He withhold from us. Some trials may lead us to believe differently, since we may not see anything good about the trial we're in.
As our Heavenly Father loves to give good gifts to His children (Matthew 7:11; James 1:17), when we are living in a way that is pleasing to God, we can be certain God will not withhold any good thing from us. If it’s good, God will give it to us. If it’s not, He won’t.
Again, God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours. He knows the outcome of something before it comes to pass. Though we may see being delivered from some trial as a good thing, only God knows when delivering us from a trial will be for our best good. God will not deliver us from a trial until He has wrung out every last drop of good that He has for us within that trial.
When no other good can come out of our trial, only then will God deliver us from a trial. To deliver us from a trial before that point, when God has more good within that trial he wants to give us, would be to withhold good from us, and that is contrary to who God is. As someone once said, “God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.”
God Is Working All Things To Good
Just as the Lord hems us in behind and before (Psalm 139:5) the Lord goes behind us and before us by first not withholding any good from us (Psalm 84:11) and then working all things in our life to good. (Romans 8:28) God is actively working every single circumstance in our life to our good and His glory. We can be confident that He who started the work will be faithful to complete it in us. (Philippians 1:6)
For me, this is why writing down the good things the Lord has done in my life, and is doing in my life is so important. When I am going through something that looks like no good whatsoever could come out of it, God miraculously draws out good. However, when I’m in the storm, it’s easy for me to be like Peter distracted by the wind and the waves surrounding me. (Matthew 14:29-31) This is when re-reading the ways the Lord has worked my past trials to good comes in handy.
If you don’t already keep a journal of the good things the Lord is doing in your life I highly recommend it. Not only will you have a blessed reminder of God's goodness and faithfulness in your life from past trials, when current trials leave you feeling discouraged, your journal will be a beautiful legacy of God's goodness in your life. This gratitude journal is great for recording the sweet blessings God has given you. This Gratitude Journal is perfect for recording those blessings in your life you don't want to forget.
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One of my least favorite promises of Jesus is “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33) However, I breathe a sigh of relief and rejoice that God also promises deliverance. And deliverance from what? Deliverance from my sins for sure. And I thank God for that. However, God’s delivering work in our life does not stop there. His deliverance covers us both now and for eternity. One of my favorite passages is Psalm 34:17-19. These three verses guarantee God’s deliverance for us from whatever we might face.
Not one trial you face, not one problem will you have to
endure forever. (Psalm 54:7) Just like each food in your refrigerator comes with an expiration date, every single trial you face comes with definite
end date. God will deliver you from each and every problem you face either on this side of heaven, or the other. Knowing every trial I face is temporary is so encouraging to me! Some trials may last days, weeks months or even years. But the sweet truth is that they all have a definite end date.
For these reasons, I can count it all joy when I face trials of various kinds. My suffering isn’t for nothing. God is working all of it to my good, and He doesn’t waste one bit of it. Considering all that God is doing in the midst of the trials, and all He promises to do, I may not know the answer to why is God allowing a trial But I do know what He is doing about it, and that brings me great comfort and joy!
I want to leave you with this song How Can I Keep From Singing by Chris Tomlin. No matter how discouraged I may feel at the time, this song always picks me up, drives away my discouragement, and gets me singing! Enjoy!
For these reasons, I can count it all joy when I face trials of various kinds. My suffering isn’t for nothing. God is working all of it to my good, and He doesn’t waste one bit of it. Considering all that God is doing in the midst of the trials, and all He promises to do, I may not know the answer to why is God allowing a trial But I do know what He is doing about it, and that brings me great comfort and joy!
I want to leave you with this song How Can I Keep From Singing by Chris Tomlin. No matter how discouraged I may feel at the time, this song always picks me up, drives away my discouragement, and gets me singing! Enjoy!
Question for you: Which of the verses above minister to you most in your
life?
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Last updated Friday February 21, 2020
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