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“Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?” Job 38:1 (ESV) “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.”  Ephesians 1:18 (ESV)

“Google, how do you make French toast?”  Google, where’s the closest place to buy a pickleball racquet?”  “Google, how do I fix my broken  dishwasher?”  Sound familiar? We live in an era where Google is supposed to have all the answers. We simply speak…wait…it responds. What would we do without it? While we love the convenience of asking, getting and then doing, Google does have its limitations.

Wonder what it was like for those who lived through so many moments of things they didn’t know? Days when questions loomed large in the face of the hardest places in their lives. Times when they didn’t know in advance how God would work out their unknowns. Moments when the written Word wasn’t fully accessible giving them the ending of how God orchestrated others’ lives.

Consider these pivotal truths Job didn’t know:
God was the one who brought Job to Satan’s attention
Job’s integrity and faithfulness was praised by God
Satan had to obtain permission from God to touch Job’s life
Close friends who came to comfort quickly transitioned to critique
Job’s hardest journey would birth a multitude of blessings

Consider these pivotal truths Esther didn’t know:
Being chosen as Queen was part of God’s plan
Advice from Mordecai would put her at risk
Her bold request to approach the King would be granted
God would spare her life and the lives of the Jewish people

Consider these pivotal truths Mary didn’t know:
Surrender to God’s plan would mean facing shame
Joseph would stay by her side instead of putting her away
Her baby, the Savior of the world, would be rejected by His people
The redeeming of her soul would mean the breaking of her heart

We, sweet friends, go through hard journeys in this broken world. And like these men and women from Scripture there are so many things we don’t know and may never know this side of eternity. We don’t always understand God’s incredible wisdom and divine orchestration of the events that touch our lives. We don’t always glimpse the beauty birthed from a hard journey until we persevere through with God.

The greatest pivotal truth we can cling to is the character of our God. We are blessed to have God’s Word testifying to His faithfulness, integrity, compassion, kindness, holiness, etc. The list is endless of His goodness, and it’s what we experience when the hardest chapters of our lives unfold right before our eyes. It’s the very moments that transform our hearts from doubt to faithfulness. It’s the transition from wonder and questions (which God handles beautifully) to confident trust in the One who is with us every step of the way.

Today’s unknowns, when bathed in God’s love, grace and truth, present us with glorious opportunities to steward well what He has entrusted into our hands. All the uncertainties, and mysteries of this life divinely appointed for the audience God grants to us. The unfolding of our stories are meant to be shared – to be told – not for our glory but for His. Just as we are encouraged and inspired by men and women whose stories unfolded in Scripture, we too must accept the invitation to testify to His work in our lives even if there are things we still don’t know. We can trust our God to stand faithfully by our side, leading us each step of the way until we meet Him face to face.

“Father, it is so sweet to trust in You and rest upon Your promises. To resist allowing the unknowns to blind us to the truth of who You are. Zero our focus not on results or answers but on drawing closer to You.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life