When you do not understand

Yesterday's sermon was about Revelation 10 & 11.
In Revelation 10:4, the seven thunders utter things to John, and he was about to write them, but then God spoke to John and told him to "seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them." Whatever was uttered to John, God did not want us knowing. There are many times in our lives when God doesn't want us to know the outcome. He doesn't want us to understand. And it is during those times where we don't know what lies ahead, that He wants us to rely on what we do understand, and that is His love, the love of God.

I was looking at the Proverbs 31 website this morning and I came across an article on this subject, so I thought that I would post it for all of you.

"Whoever said that life is a bed of roses probably did not warn you about the thorns. Just as we look past the thorns to see the beauty of the voluptuous rose, so must we do in life.

There are a thousand examples of looking past the pain in order to behold something beautiful, too many to mention! How many times do we endure to reap the rewards? How many times have we given up, only to miss the blessings?

I think of the woman with the issue of blood. The pain she must have felt, the discouragement and heartache she knew so well. When all odds were against her, she kept pressing on. She knew that Jesus was passing by and she longed to touch the hem of His garment. Her determination to push through the crowd was enough. Her faith was everything. She pressed on until she touched His garment and right then, it happened, her miracle was fulfilled.

Today we need to pray for that same zeal and determination to press on. It seems as though life throws us so many challenges. Every single day you will hear of someone, somewhere going through something. Or what about in your own life? Are you faced with circumstances that get you down? It may not be a physical challenge, it may be challenges in the home, on the job, within family and friends or a struggle for inner motivation. Whatever it may be, know that you can find your inner strength to press through the crowds that slow you down.

There are too many biblical examples of children of God pressing through to use all at once. They all have their own story, each one unique. Still, the end results are all the same; They endured until they knew the taste of victory. Healing, triumphs, countless miracles; all came about through faith and perseverance. If they had given up, there would have been no rewards.

It seems that anything out of the ordinary taps into the doubting Thomas within us, causing us to ask, "Why?" Face it, most of us are analytical people. We want to understand everything. If the answer cannot come through reasoning then it is not acceptable in the sight of many. Rather than trusting through faith many of us would rather ignore these things we cannot comprehend. It is easier to pass something by than to look beyond what is clearly on the surface.

Being in ministry, I am faced with the thoughts of, "Why?" quite often. There are many times I want the cold hard facts that can explain why. I want the now yesterday and the tomorrows now! Through the grace of God, I am learning to lean not on my own understanding. I am gaining wisdom and learning to see the beauty of His plan. I can see that His ways are better than my ways.

When I am bound by the challenges of life, I look through the crowds. If I can just touch the hem of His garment I will know that times of enduring were worth not understanding."

by Krystal Hamblin