James 1:5-8 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Let’s face it. When it comes to understanding what’s going on in our lives, we all lack wisdom. We wonder, we question, we second-guess, we obsess, we retrace, we shake our heads, and we bow in bewilderment. We have not, because we do not ask. I believe that God wants to give us the wisdom we need to live lives that are pleasing to Him. I also believe that He can give us the wisdom to understand what He is doing and how He is working in our lives, but only in His time and when it is beneficial for us. Some may ask, “Why would it not be beneficial for me to know such things right now.” I suspect that the knowledge very well might short circuit the very lessons He is teaching us and we need to learn. Here, as well as in all of life, trust is the key. The bottom-line question is this: Do I really trust God?

In my last post I mentioned the missionary Helen Roseveare. She experienced unspeakable horrors at the hands of rebels. She could have given up on God and her faith because of what she endured. SHE DID NOT! Listen to her story and her response to the evil she endured.

During the pinnacle of her suffering, God spoke to Roseveare in a way that He knew she would understand and accept. “I believe the words that God spoke to me, although I didn’t hear them as words, were, “Can you thank Me for trusting you with this, even if I never tell you why?” You know, that’s shattering. You and I think of us trusting Him. But the thought that He wants to trust us, that was something very new to my thinking.”

He gave her the strength to say yes and she prayed, “Yes, God. If somehow, somewhere this fits for purposes, I don’t know how, but yes, thank You, God, for trusting me with this.” God did not take away the wickedness, the cruelty, or the pain. It was still there. But He turned her fear into peace.

What about you? Can you trust God amid your suffering, your pain, your disappointment, your failures, your trials, even if you don’t get an answer to your “Why?” Or are you awash on the shifting sands of doubt and confusion? Trust God! Look to God! He will give you the wisdom to understand His ways. He will not fail you. Though you may stumble, you will not utterly fall, for He will hold you up!

Today, can you thank God for trusting you with the seeming messes in your life? Can you thank Him for trusting you to serve Him, to reveal His love, and to make His name known in your life amid the challenging circumstances you face?

Today, would you give up your double-minded ways. Will you quit looking both ways, first to God, then away, then, back, then away? Your instability will not yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness. You will only receive what you are seeking, if you are willing to surrender your rights, your will, your all to God. He will answer!