I had a thousand questions, but most could be summed up in two words, “Why? How?”

My life had settled into a comfortable flow, like a lazy river, gently swirling around in an expected path. Then my lazy river started churning like the Mississippi River after spring thaw.

During tumultuous times, we feel discombobulated. As Christians, we know God is always watching, providing, and helping us course-correct. But sometimes, we wonder why the Holy Spirit doesn’t offer more insight into what in the world is going on.

Do you think we would understand (and agree on) God’s logic and His plan if He laid it out before we walked it out? Uh, no. I can attest to this, and you can too. There are several really tough parts of my journey that, had I known what lay ahead, at least in the short term, I would have locked my legs like an old hound dog and said, “Nope. I ain’t doing this.” Foreknowledge wouldn’t have answered my questions. It still wouldn’t have made sense. Some things never will, my friend.

How can we be peaceful when we don’t understand? Friend, this is when our faith in God must carry us. When life buckles our knees, we are in a good prayer position, right?

Jesus tells us that the peace He gives is not the world’s peace (John 14:27). I can’t explain how God’s shalom (research the word shalom sometimes. It means so many good things) can envelop us during turmoil. Our Bible has many personal stories of this happening. Not only is it my testimony, but I have heard testimonies from others who experience great peace during suffering.

How do we see God’s grace in situations that just don’t make sense? And, how can we learn to recognize God’s providence and direction when we feel like we took a wrong turn? When we learn to look for God’s sustaining hand in our circumstances, we accept His peace more readily.

Our circumstances might not make sense to us, but Christians have this assurance,

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

Proverbs 19:21 (ESV)

And

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

This truth led me to create a new resource that I’m tickled to offer you today. It’s a two-page PDF that offers 21 Bible Promises for when life doesn’t make sense and a worksheet to help us recognize God in a situation that has left us undone.

It’s easy to get your free Seeing God’s Grace Guide. Request it below, and it will head to your inbox. I pray that this guide will bring you much encouragement.

Will you email me and let me know how this new resource helped you?