Trusting Beyond Understanding: Obeying God When It is Hard

Have you ever felt called to obey God in a situation that seemed impossible? Let me tell you something. You are not alone. I have been there. There are also others who have been there. We live in a world that thrives on independence. It can be so hard to step out in obedience when you cannot see what is front of you. 

Trusting Beyond Understanding

What does it mean to trust God beyond understanding? Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Trust can be an intimidating and scary thing. Have you ever done one of those trust fall exercises? Even if it is your very best friend, you still worry that the person behind you will not be there to catch you. You can doubt that the other person will keep their end of the agreement. Trust can feel like bungee jumping. Is that cord really going to hold me? Is God really going to do what He said He would? When we trust in something (or someone) we are letting go of control. We are placing our well-being into the hands of another. That can be scary.

There was a time in my life where I was asked to trust God completely. When I was a teenager, I first felt the tug toward serving as a missionary. But then in college, God asked me to lay down this call of becoming a full-time missionary. At the time, I was in Thailand on a mission trip with other college students. See, everyone else was receiving calls about becoming missionaries in southeast Asia. And I was receiving a call out of missions. It didn’t make sense to me and it was one of the hardest things to hear from God.

How can we know that God can be trusted? When trusting is hard, we must look for the small moments of faithfulness of God in our lives. Just like in any relationship, trust is something that is built. We can build trust by remembering small moments of God’s faithfulness and care for us. It could be as small as reading something that makes us feel special. Or taking a moment to appreciate the healing that has come out of the struggle and pain. We can think of the personal moments where God has taken care of us. The simple sighting of a lovely sunset or sunrise can reveal how much God loves us.

Proverbs 3:5 invites us to not lean on our own understanding. The words “lean on” point to relying on or supporting oneself. We are encouraged to not rely on ourselves or our own wisdom. Instead, we are invited to completely rely on God to guide us in every decision we make. He is the One who will never leave or forsake us (Deut. 31:6).

We are not the first ones to struggle with stepping out in obedience. Noah was instructed to build an ark for a flood that hadn’t happened yet. Abraham was asked to sacrifice his firstborn son. Did I mention that he and his wife struggled with infertility for many years? He had to believe that God’s way was better. If we are struggling with stepping out in obedience, then we are in good company.

Luckily, understanding is not a requirement in our trust. We may not always be able to see where obedience leads, but we can be fully assured that God will be present, giving us the strength to move forward. Even Jesus wrestled in His anguish of what was to come.

He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.
— Luke 22:41-42

This is what it looks like to rely on a God whose ways are not our ways. But He is more trustworthy than we would ever be. I didn’t understand why God was calling me to lay this piece of my story down. It didn’t make sense to me. Honestly, God doesn’t promise that our obedience will ever make sense to us. It is beyond our understanding. But the one thing He promises us is that He loves us and He will never leave us.

As we continue to walk this journey of trusting God beyond our understanding, let’s lean in together, knowing He is with us every step of the way—even when it’s hard. Stay tuned for the next post where we’ll explore what we can learn from obedience. And if you’re ready for more encouragement and guidance, be sure to subscribe to our Tuesday newsletter for weekly insights that will strengthen your walk with Jesus.

 

Reflect

  • How have I had to remember God’s instructions when obedience was hard?

  • In what ways, are you being called to obedience?


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The Blessing of Following God’s Lead

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3 Habits to Cultivate In Your Singleness