Have you experienced crushing disappointment and found it difficult to reconcile this with your belief in God’s goodness, faithfulness, and provision? Have you really hoped for a new job, only to get rejection emails stating, “thank you for your interest in our company, but we have decided to go on with someone else?” Have your loved one’s (or your own) health problems worsened after you prayed to the Lord for healing? Have you asked for guidance in making major life decisions, only to face difficulties you never saw coming?
Why does a good, faithful, just, loving, kind, merciful, gracious, compassionate, and sovereign God allow perplexing events that tend to shake us to our foundations?
Even though I don’t know why God has let some things happen in my life, I do know that His plans for me are good and will give me a future and hope (Jeremiah 29:11)
One of the ways we might misunderstand God’s faithfulness is in how we expect God to move in ways He never promised.
God can be trusted. We must, however, be clear about his promises.
God’s faithfulness, as described in the Bible, does not always appear as we imagine.
He doesn’t promise we won’t face hardship or be disappointed, but He says He works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).
As I do the same, I challenge you by asking yourself if you expect God to perform precisely as you want and in ways, he hasn’t even promised. In doing so, may we be comforted and encouraged by God’s promises to be faithful to us in all the ways as His children. He demonstrates remarkable patience and grace when we learn to trust Him for who He is rather than the God we may have imagined him to be.
Thankfully, the God is faithful even when we are not (2 Timothy 2:13).
BEYOND MY LIMITATIONS 