Skip to content

Cheerful Soul

Making Each Day a Bit Brighter

Menu
  • about me
  • Blog
  • bible study
  • Contact
  • video
  • reading plans
Menu
#Christian #God #Jesus #instagood #photooftheday #beautiful #cute #tbt #providence #destiny #eternity #heaven #purpose #plan #life #Scripture #hope #peace #joy #doubt #Christianity #amazing #bestoftheday #good #

Advent Day 17: Why Should We Trust God?

Posted on December 17, 2018May 8, 2020 by Cheerful Soul

I’ve been talking to you. I hear you. I hear your struggle to trust God. You doubt there is a God. How could He possibly be real? 

The Feeling of Doubt

You hurt.

Divorce. Death. Abuse. The struggle. It is real…it feels…it breathes. Not a day goes by without the constant reminder of your pain. And so you sit…stuck. “If God is real, why would He?” 

You brew.

And your bitterness grows.

But I ask you...Have you made God too small? Is He pint-sized compared to your hurt and pain, rather than allowing Him to conquer your deepest anguish?

You wrestle with wanting a god that you can control. A god who will do things your way. A “yes-god” who fits in the palm of your hand. 

God Never Wastes Pain

Nevertheless, pain is a part of the mystery of God. The reasons for pain belong to God. “The LORD our God has secrets known to no one…” (Deut. 29:29). 

We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.

C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

Fortunately, God does not allow us to suffer alone. Rather, He comes to meet us where we are (2 Cor. 1:3-4). There is nothing we face in this world that He has not experienced (see Isaiah 53:3-4). Even in the pain, God has a greater purpose. For this reason, we can always trust God.

Encouragement From the Story of Ruth

Read the story of Ruth today, which reveals that God is at work in the worst of times. It’s a story about a foreign girl from the land of Moab who faithfully follows her widowed mother-in-law Naomi after tragically losing her husband. Ruth commits that “Your God will be my God” (Ruth 1:16) and is willing to risk the possibility of staying widowed and childless for a lifetime. She trusts and hopes in the sovereign goodness of God despite the dim outlook of her circumstances.

  • We see the heart of widowed Naomi turn from bitterness to beauty in her old age.
  • God providently orchestrate the seemingly ordinary details of Ruth’s life: a widow with a servant’s heart, a worker in the field, a married woman once again…and at long last, a mother.
  • We behold a kinsman-redeemer who shows up at the perfect time.
  • And stand in awe of the lineage of Jesus being formed…

All to show us that our stories connect us to someone far greater than ourselves. As a believer, your story is weaved into the story of God. Moreover, your ordinary may seem meaningless today, but in tomorrow’s light, it will be meaningful for all eternity. 

 What do you worry about most? Does anything keep you up at night? What needs to change to turn your worry into trust?

Sharing is caring:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related

AUTHOR//BLOGGER//SPEAKER


Sue is an author, blogger, speaker, and mission enthusiast. In her spare time, you'll catch her hiking in her backyard.

Join 2,067 other subscribers

Top Posts & Pages

  • 4 Reasons We Stand in the Gap
  • If God is always working, why is life so hard?
  • Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places?
  • Devotional: Redeemed Girl
  • Who Says "Quiet Time" Has To Be Quiet?
  • Four Ways to Take Charge of Your Day

Cheerful Soul

Cheerful Soul
© 2023 Cheerful Soul | Powered by Superbs Personal Blog theme