Trust God and Obey Him, Especially in the Tough Times

Think back for a moment to a time when you had to make a big decision.  As the situation begins to unfold, you probably begin to experience an increasing amount of stress.  You consider your options.  You pray and ask the Lord for wisdom.  You seek the counsel of Godly people.  Wanting to be certain that you don’t make a hasty decision, you wait for the Lord’s timing.  Then when you feel the Holy Spirit prompting you to go in a specific direction you move ahead confidently, asking the Lord to watch over you.

Then WHAM!  The exact opposite of everything you had anticipated occurs!  You shake your head back and forth and throw your hands up in desperation.  It can be extremely frustrating, and even difficult to maintain a positive attitude.

But guess what?  God is always at work in the life of His people, and 1 Corinthians 14:33 assures us that “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.”  So how do we reconcile a situation like this which may appear to be confusing?  How do we see God through our frustration?

Let me encourage you to read the account of God confirming Abraham’s faith, in Genesis 22:1-19.  What we sometimes fail to consider is that God does not always reveal His entire plan to us all at once.  If he did, how would He build our faith in Him?  I don’t think that many of us would even be able to accept God’s full plan for us if He did reveal it all at once.  

In Abraham’s case, God gave simple and clear instructions for him to follow.  Abraham obeyed the Lord and moved ahead, following the Lord’s instructions without objection.  I can imagine the stress which Abraham felt.  What initially appeared to Abraham to be God’s plan was actually not God’s full plan at all.  However, in retrospect we can see God’s hand at work the entire time.  God’s plan was to demonstrate His power, and in doing so, strengthen Abraham’s faith.

What about your life?  Have you ever become frustrated with God, only to look back years later and see that yes indeed, His ways were perfect after all?  Our Lord is always at work in the lives of His people.  Obey God.  Trust Him and He will increase your faith, even when you don’t understand.  Especially when you don’t understand.

Blessings,

Pastor Bruce

bruce.cullom@gmail.com