Trusting God When It’s Hard to See the Way
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Psalm 37:7, ESV
I had purchased a writing tablet that I absolutely loved. I could take all the handwritten notes I wanted and, with the press of a button, they would instantly convert into typeset. As a writer, I used it for everything. I especially loved taking it to church because I could easily take notes from the messages. It became such a valuable tool—allowing me to organize my notes into files all in one place. There was also an app, so everything synced seamlessly to my computer and phone.
One Sunday, I brought it to church as usual. But when the message began and I reached for it, I couldn’t find it. I assumed I had left it at home, so I switched to my phone, opened the app, and took notes there. But when I got home, the tablet wasn’t there. We searched everywhere and even drove back to the church to look for it, but it was nowhere to be found. I was heartbroken.
Then the Holy Spirit reminded me that God knows everything, and all I needed to do was trust Him. I had already prayed, but God brought to mind the sermon Pastor Bob had preached that very morning. It’s amazing how God will bring the message right to where we need it.
He had preached from Luke 18—the Parable of the Persistent Widow. The widow continually approached an unjust judge for justice. Though he refused her for a time, her persistence eventually moved him to grant her request. Jesus said:
“Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night? Will He delay long over them? I tell you, He will give justice to them speedily.”
—Luke 18:6–8 (ESV)
Pastor Bob reminded us that when we pray, we must ask according to God’s will, in His timing, and in alignment with His best for our lives. So I prayed the way Pastor Bob had encouraged us to pray.
A short time later, I opened my computer to access one of my tablet files—and to my surprise, I could see someone using it and writing on it. My heart sank. It can be difficult to trust God when you see something like that happening. I became so frustrated that I typed a message directly onto the screen, telling the person they needed to return my tablet.
But after calming down, I began to thank God for what He was doing in my life. I remembered that this was spiritual warfare, and I could not fight it in the natural. I had to trust God. So I gave Him thanks, told Him that I trusted Him, and committed to be like the persistent widow—continually asking God for justice and the return of my tablet until He told me to pray differently.
Key Takeaways
Troubles often arise in places we would never expect.
God hears our prayers—we must simply come in faith.
When doubt begins to creep in, tell God, and He will strengthen your faith in Him.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19; Isaiah 55:11
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