Trusting God When You Do Not Understand - iBelieve Truth - January 26, 2024
"Jesus replied, 'You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.'” John 13:7 NIV
Many people say “God is always working behind the scenes.” This is important to remember when we feel like our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling, not making it past the sky through the galaxies to reach God’s ears. It’s also vital to remember this when we don’t know what’s next in life and we’re worried about the future. But what does this phrase mean, exactly?
According to Cambridge Dictionary, the English definition of “behind the scenes” is, “If something happens behind the scenes, it happens without most people knowing about it, especially when something else is happening publicly: A lot of hard work has been going on behind the scenes.”
Last year, I thought that while I was worried and hurrying to figure everything out on my own, God, our Heavenly Father who knows best, was simply shaking His head and saying something like, “My Child, if you only knew what I am doing for you.”
Often, God works behind the scenes where we cannot see Him. We also can’t see the outcome of His work until the time is right. As frail humans this can cause us to worry more and trust God less—depending on our situation or the problem we’re experiencing. But God tells us in His Word to not worry! He encourages us to, instead, pray. God tells us in Philippians 4:6-7 NLT, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
I’ve learned to turn my worries into prayers. When I’m fretting about something, I’ll go to Google and type in keywords for what I’m facing to find answers in the Bible. For example, I may search “What does the Bible say about worry?” The answer includes quotes from Scripture that are very helpful.
I can learn more from notable sources like Open Bible Info and read an article from Ramsey Solutions (a popular company that helps people budget their money and become debt-free) that says, “21 Bible Verses to Calm Anxiety.” There are countless in-depth resources. It’s a good way to use technology to point us to timeless truths found in God’s Word. After I collect Bible verses on the topic, I’ll pray those Scriptures aloud and then share my heart with God about the situation. Then I grow quiet and listen for Him to speak. He may not always speak immediately, but He always answers!
We may not always know what God is doing, nor may we understand it. But someday, He promises us we will (John 13:7). People often say that we may not understand why we go through hardship, but after we get through it, we can look back with new eyes of wisdom and see why God allowed it to happen. We might even praise Him because those trying times helped us experience God’s goodness and become closer to Him.
I’ve found this to be true in my career path. Ever since graduating from college more than a decade ago, the path to my career dreams has been filled with mountain highs, valley lows, and many detours that had me questioning God. But looking back on those years, I can see how God enriched my life through those experiences. He taught me more about His character and His plan. He encouraged my heart and made me a stronger, more versatile person. And He helped me understand different personalities of people while really getting to know their stories.
God developed within me a deeper compassion for people and He’s still increasing my patience—especially as I wait for everything else He’s working on behind the scenes. Through it all, I learned to trust God as I grew stronger in my faith. What I didn’t understand then, I understand now, and I wouldn’t change a thing.
A song that encourages my heart when God is working behind the scenes is “Through It All” by Andrae Crouch. Listen here.
Let’s Pray: Dear God, Thank You for being trustworthy and true. Thank You for always working everything together for the good of those who love You. Help us to gain a deeper faith in Your plan as you work out the details behind the scenes. Continue to lead us, guide us, protect us, and provide for us. In Jesus’s Name, I pray. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Doucefleur
Related Resource: Instead of Doing More This Summer, Maybe You Need to Do Less
If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!