Questions.
They began from the moment that we find the words to say them.
About why the sky is blue, how you can grow tall, and what makes the world go round.
Questions about the world we see with our eyes, the people around us, and the life that we live.
And for the most part we get the answers to our “why’s”.
Sometimes from parents, sometimes from teachers, sometimes from books, sometimes from google, and sometimes from friends.
But the older we get the more we understand that there are some questions in life you will never get an answer to.
Your parents and teachers won’t help you figure it out, google won’t find it for you, and God will remain silent.
Questions about why prayers don’t get answered.
Why bad things happen.
Why plans fall apart.
Questions about finding justice in a cruel world.
Questions about the reason behind a loss or a tragedy.
Questions about how to heal a devastated life or a broken heart.
Questions about why sometimes life simply makes no logical sense.
And over the years I have come to the realization that sometimes we will not get the answer to our “why’s”.
We will not get closure from an abrupt ending to a relationship, to a job, to an opportunity, or to a dream.
We will not see the missing piece of the puzzle and how things fit.
We will never see the big picture of our life and the world around us and why things are the way they are.
But in the midst of uncertainty, of no answers, of brokenness we can rest in peace knowing that we are walking with the One who has it all figured out.
We can trust that the One who put the moon and starts into orbit and counts the very number of hairs on our head and drops of tears that we cry will not allow us to go through a single thing without a good reason.
That for whatever reason He sees it fit for us to be right where we’re at.
Even if that place is facing a tragedy, walking through a trial, or dealing with a broken heart.
We can know that nothing we go through in this life is in vain.
God took Moses into a desert, Joseph into a dungeon, Daniel into a lion’s den, Paul into a prison cell, Job through terrible loss and tragedy, and the disciples right into the middle of a storm.
And I’m sure each one of them had many unanswered questions in each one of these places.
I’m sure each one of them had doubts about why they were going through trials.
When we read the Bible we see the big picture and we know that their stories has a good ending and that there was a reason behind everything that happened the way that it did but when we’re in the middle of our own story and the puzzle pieces don’t seem to fit it becomes hard to remain positive and hopeful.
When we are like Job and we lose people we love or our possessions it’s hard to see how anything good can come out of it.
But it’s what God used to prove His faithfulness to Him.
When we are like Joseph stuck in a dungeon cell, betrayed by people we trusted, and our dreams are on hold it’s hard to see how life could possibly ever be normal again.
But it’s what God used to build his character and prepare him for his destiny.
When we are like the disciples trying to stay alive in the middle of a raging storm it’s hard to see if we will have what it takes to overcome and survive.
But it’s what God used to grow their faith in Him.
Often times when God wants you to grow He will allow you to go through trials, through hardships, through storms that will make you trust in Him alone.
The sufferings and trials are not meant to break you but to strengthen you and build you up for His purposes for you.
It is during these times when the world around you is darkest, when you are hurting the deepest, and when life keeps bringing you to your knees and you just don’t understand why that you will grow in Christ the most.
It takes walking through fire to come out purified and clean.
It takes struggling through a storm to come out steady and unshakable for the days to come.
It takes facing your fears, your insecurities, and your Goliath’s to come out fearless with God and stronger than before.
When life doesn’t make sense and you are tempted to give up and call it quits remember that you don’t need to know the answers to your “why”, you don’t need closure or understanding, you don’t need to know everything.
You just need to trust the One that does.
Never forget that His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8) and that means that not everything will be clear to us in this world.
We won’t ever see the missing pieces of our puzzle.
We might never get all of our questions answered on this side of the world.
But we can wake up every day with hope and walk every moment in faith knowing that we are in the hands of the One who will always take care of us.
And when we hold on to His truth and His love for us then His purposes and plans will never pass us by.
Be blessed and remain faithful to Christ no matter what you are going through today! Anna… ♥
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” – Proverbs 3:5-6
This is so encouraging!
“But in the midst of uncertainty, of no answers, of brokenness we can rest in peace knowing that we are walking with the One who has it all figured out.” That was my favorite part <3
He has it all figured out, amen 🙂
Yes He does! And that takes the pressure off of us to try to know all the answers. It’s so reassuring to know that He will always take care of us no matter where we’re at!
Beautiful post “It takes struggling through a storm to come out steady and unshakable for the days to come.” This has proven true for me so many times in life.
Thank you for sharing Anna..
Easter
Thanks Easter. I’ve learned that same lesson a few times myself! It’s so cool to see how much more we understand (or don’t need to understand) once we see in hindsight how God used the storms and trials in our life to strengthen us. It makes it easier to rely on His faithfulness when we face new struggles each day. Have a blessed weekend!
Thank you Anna 🙂 It is amazing how God keeps His Romans 8:28 promise… ALL things work to HIS glory and our goodness. Hindsight, for me, is 20/20, of course, the moments you are in the storm are always so difficult, but faith is everything in those times.
I appreciate your post. I don’t agree with everything you have said but it is a very positive message. Sometimes is the mist of trouble when we ask why, I think we should ask: who are we to question? If we love God and have put our faith in Him, who do we think we are? Isn’t it remarkable that in those moments we forget about all the happiness and blessing we have had in our lives. Why do we think bad things shouldn’t happen to us? Should they only happen to other people–but not us? This is life. These are not my original thoughts and feelings. Eleven years ago my 24 yr old son was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He had suffered through 7 years with one form of cancer or another and health problems caused by chemo. But trusted God. He knew that his Lord loved him and would comfort him. God bless you.
Thanks Candy. I agree with you, we really don’t have a right to question God and what He allows into our lives, He is sovereign and we are just His creations, we need to follow Him and obey Him regardless of what we are going through. Bad things happen to everyone (some worst than others) and why they happen isn’t for us to figure out. I remember listening to a Focus on the Family broadcast with a lady sharing how she lost her eyesight in one day and she kept on asking God why but then she realized she was asking the wrong question, she should have been asking “why NOT me?” No one is excluded when it comes to suffering in life (certainly not Jesus when He was on earth) if He had to suffer all kinds of terrible things while He was here why is it surprising when we, His followers, also must suffer if we want to become more like Him?
I’m sorry to hear about your son being diagnosed with cancer and having to suffer from it’s painful effects 🙁 that is no easy to battle fight but I am glad that in his fight he chose trust God and find his comfort in Him. May he continue to run to Christ for his source of strength and may you keep walking in faith with Him. Thank you for stopping by and sharing. Be blessed!
I’ve learned that, “Why,” never seems to be the right question to ask. There are so many other questions we could be asking of God that would move us forward, or up out of the valley. It makes the difference between moving toward Him or away from Him. At the end of my life, I want it to be said of me that every move was toward God, no matter the circumstances.
“At the end of my life, I want it to be said of me that every move was toward God, no matter the circumstances.” Love this and can say the same for myself!
“Why” really isn’t the right question to ask, sometimes “what” is the better question. What does God want to teach me through the situation I find myself in? What can I do to draw closer and continue walking strong in Him during the trials of life? Once we stop asking “why” and start trusting God it will be easier to move forward and trust Him!
Amen to that, Anna.
This is awesome! You have no idea how much this has spoken to me tonight! God has been speaking to me about this all week. I so needed this reminder tonight! Thank you!
Me too!! Good word, God is gracious! He is good!
Thanks Chrystal. I’m so glad that it spoke to you last night! No wonder I had the urge to write it (when I originally had something else in mind) 😉 May you continue walking strong in Christ and trust Him in the place you find yourself in today. Be blessed!
Thanks Anne, you have encourage me so much!
Thank you for this thought-provoking post. It makes me look at my trials and difficulties in a new way.
That’s awesome Pam! I’m glad it helped you see trials from a different perspective. Hope you have a blessed day!
very well said . . . had to “press this” one!
Thank you 🙂 Blessings to you!
Anna…., a very sobering post indeed. I am in a season where I am beginning to see that I don’t have all the answers. There are a lot of things that happen that I don’t understand but coming to a realization that God may never give me the answers on this side of life.
“We won’t ever see the missing pieces of our puzzle” is how you put it.
That is a very sobering thought. He does that not to spite us but because He wants us to trust Him.
Thanks for this much needed post.
Rolain
Hey Rolain, “We don’t see all the missing pieces of the puzzle not because He wants to spite us but because He wants us to trust Him” Yes! This is honestly one of the biggest lessons God has been teaching me this year. To stop asking “why” and start trusting Him when things don’t make sense and life doesn’t go according to my plan.
Not knowing why will always be one of our greatest opportunities to learn to trust Him and draw closer to Him. And once we turn to Him we’ll start getting used to the idea that we can live life just fine without knowing all the answers.
Hope you have a blessed weekend and may you remain strong in faith as you trust Him during this season in your life!
I like what you said. We don’t most of the pieces of the puzzle not because He wants to spite us……
I was meditating on what you said this morning and asking God why He can’t see all the pieces and that is what came to mind. Everything He does is from a postion of love. He wants the best for us and cares for us and this is the position He works from. That really gave me peace. Knowing that even though I don’t have all the pieces, God is not mad at me or trying to make things difficult for the sake of it. He truly loves me and cares for me. So thank you for what you shared. Have a great weekend Anna….
Reblogged this on My Journey and commented:
Love these lines –
“When life doesn’t make sense and you are tempted to give up and call it quits remember that you don’t need to know the answers to your “why”, you don’t need closure or understanding, you don’t need to know everything.
You just need to trust the One that does.”
This is exactly the post I needed to hear right now as a graduating college senior whose plans for post-grad just fell through. Thank you for sharing and for speaking truth. God doesn’t always answer our questions because His reasoning isn’t always something we can comprehend, but I am so thankful for a God that can’t be figured out completely because that’s another incredible indicator of His power. You have a gift from God and I love what you’re doing; keep writing!
Hi Amanda, that’s awesome! Love what you said – “I am so thankful for a God that can’t be figured out completely because that’s another incredible indicator of His power.” God’s ways are not for us to understand, only to trust. How can we possibly make sense of Him and His ways when we are only the creations of His hands?
When we have questions and struggles we can always find our way back to the cross and remember His great love for us and know that everything He allows to happen is out of that love (even if those things may not be so good at the moment). I will pray that God will bless you during this season of your life and give clarity and faith as you keep trusting Him to come through for you in what to do next with your future plans. Be blessed!
“…remember that you don’t need to know the answers to your ‘why’, you don’t need closure or understanding, you don’t need to know everything. You just need to trust the One that does.”
This whole post was so inspired! Just this morning I was wondering these very things about why some prayers don’t get answered and it can be very heartbreaking, so this was just the thing I needed to read. Thank you for following the Spirit! May the Lord continue to bless you for it! ♥
Thank you Lauren. I love it when God speaks to us at just the right time! I’m so glad this post was the reminder that you needed to trust Him even when we don’t get those answers we are searching for. I hope you have a blessed day!
Thankful to have read your post. Good job! When we inquire of God, He will give answers in one way or another. Spiritual eyes open.
Thank you! Very true. Sometimes God does give us answers but we are too blind to see them.