When Life Doesn’t Make Sense

I’ve been thinking a lot about life’s twists and turns, confusing moments and times when you just want to scream, “What in the world is going on??”  It is human nature to want to know why.  Ask any mother of a small child whose top two vocabulary words are “no” and “why”. Questioning why starts early in our minds and hearts.

When “bad” things happen we look for someone or something to blame for it.  We blame the devil {why give him the credit??}. We blame a family member. We blame that chocolate chip cookie that we shouldn’t have eaten yesterday.  We blame stuff because it’s easy and it makes us feel better.

But what if…

What if… God sovereignly allowed seemingly “bad” stuff to happen in our lives for our good?

What if… He miraculously detained us from fulfilling “our” dream because there is danger awaiting us at the moment?

What if… He stopped us to test us? To test our faith?  To see if we really believe that He is all-powerful?

What if… God has something incredibly better waiting for us right around the corner.  Something we can’t see with our now clouded vision?

I’m reminded of the perilous situation that the Israelites found themselves in in Jeremiah 29.  They were experiencing the seventy year captivity in Babylon.  Seventy years y’all!  I’m sure they had questions and doubts about what God was doing. He had a perfect purpose that shows beautifully in these verses…

Thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

It is clear as day that God’s purpose included getting to the Israelites’ hearts. He had thoughts of peace and not of evil toward His people and this difficulty that took 70 years {they must have been really stubborn!} caused them to pray to God, to seek Him.

What does He say to their prayers? Does God play hide and seek with His children? No.

Here is a wonderful promise to cling to every single day we live: “I will be found of you.”  He promises when we seek him with all our heart, we will find Him.  We will find contentment in Him.

He is the answer to all our questions. He is the joy and satisfaction of our hearts.

My Father’s way may twist and turn,
My heart may throb and ache,
But in my soul I’m glad to know,
He maketh no mistake.

My cherished plans may go astray,
My hopes may fade away,
But I’ll trust my Lord to lead
For He doth know the way.

Tho’ night be dark, and it may seem
That day will never break,
I’ll pin my faith, my all in Him,
He maketh no mistake.

There’s so much now I cannot see,
My eyesight’s far too dim;
But come what may, I’ll simply trust
And leave it all to Him.

For by and by the mist will lift
And plain it all He’ll make,
Through all the way, tho’ dark to me
He made not one mistake.

by A.M. Overton

These words are resounding in my heart today. I’m preaching myself out of a questioning funk and I hope that your heart will be encouraged today to trust and rest in the loving heart and hand of a sovereign God.

Run to Jesus today!

Linked to: Women In The Word

31 Comments

  1. Thank you, Myra. I believe we needed this reminder today of all days. We learned this morning that my husband’s beloved uncle passed, that my mother-in-law is rapidly losing the tiny remnant of her vision, and that our darling two-year-old grandson is still sick (and seemingly not improving!) after a week, along with his darling Mommy. It’s been a challenging day…er, week! God is good…all the time!

  2. So true, Myra!! When you wrote, “What if… God sovereignly allowed seemingly “bad” stuff to happen in our lives for our good?” it made me think of a song that has always blessed my heart. The chorus goes:
    It’s for my good and for His glory
    This trial’s not the end of the story
    There’s a bigger picture God alone can see
    Faith will take me through this sorrow
    For I know He holds tomorrow
    And he assures me it’s for my good and for His glory!

    This post was a blessing! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
    Anna´s last blog post ..Would You Be My Tootsie-Wootsie

  3. Thanks for sharing, Myra. I needed that today as well.
    Just wondering if this is a song….and if so…from which hymnal??

    1. Thank you Karen for your comment! I’ve never seen this poem in a hymnbook, but I would love it if someone put it to music! 🙂

  4. Thank you so much Myra for this good reminder today! I am in a health trial right now…and sometimes it feels like I will never feel healthy again….but your post has inspired me to hope in the Lord. To seek Him in all of this…and to remember all of the ways He has never failed me. And I love the promise that if we seek Him we will find Him.

    I loved the poem you posted too. Poems speak to my heart.
    Thanks!

    Linda @ Truthful Tidbits
    Linda´s last blog post ..Granddaughter Abigails 18th Birthday! Yay!!!

  5. Thank you for sharing this very encouraging post. I think you’ve touched a lot of your readers today. God’s plans are not just for our good, but for the good of others too. Look how your own funk…got you to thinking {the Holy Spirit took control}…resulted in a beautiful online sermon that is SO true…and is now touching others. May God bless you, Myra. 🙂

    Hugs,
    Rosann
    Rosann´s last blog post ..By- finding joy in the day in and day out – Christian Forums

  6. Oh, how I needed to read your post today! I’ve been in a “funk” myself and this mama’s heart is heavy over some things that really aren’t worth the worry and will pass soon enough. May we all remember Proverbs 3:5-6. Thank you for the reminder and encouragement.

  7. Oh, I needed to read this today!!! Thank you for the encouraging words and for reminding us of God’s promise that we can find Him when we truly seek Him. (I love reading your blog.) 🙂

  8. I love this post Myra. Every part of it is so true. I’ve finally gotten to a place in my life where I know that when things don’t make sense, the Lord has something better waiting. This was just proven when after 3 years of trying to get back into his field of work, my husband has accepted a job that is exactly what he was looking for and even better! God is SO good!!!!

  9. Thank you so much for your words. I am losing my sister to cancer right now and have been asking lots of “whys”. Thank you.

    1. Hugs Lisa. I’m so sorry for this trial that you are going through. Prayers for you and your sister. 🙂

  10. Beautifully written! Thank you so much for sharing this. I needed to read it. Today! We’re facing huge changes as a family, and we have a lot of “whys” going on. But we’re doing our best to trust. God IS trustworthy!
    Thank you again!
    Jessica´s last blog post ..Wits End Corner

  11. Such a blessing to me to have read that today Myra!
    I am so glad God fearing women like YOU are in the blog world sharing their love and devotion to Jesus- theres so much junk out there! Thanks for being sensitive to the Lords calling on your life and blessing others with this 🙂 beautifully written and SO true!
    God bless you today,
    Colleen

  12. Great, great post. It spoke to me as if you wrote it just for me 🙂 Things seem to swirling around me lately and I feel so helpless sometimes. Thanks for posting this and have a great week!

  13. I think these same thoughts very often.
    God didn’t promise a perfect life on Earth. The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) always comes to mind when I find myself whining or feeling sorry for myself. While I know salvation is assured, I also want to please my maker and fully realize those designs he has for me. How could that happen without challenge and adversity because growth cannot happen without them. Then I remember Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” and I feel hopeful and purposely of the journey put before me.

    Thanks Myra for reminding me to reflect on that again! Its been some time.

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