It’s easy to trust God when things are going our way, we’re getting good
breaks, our business is blessed, and our children are healthy. We don’t
need much faith when life is good. But what about when things aren’t
going our way, our prayers aren’t being answered, the problem isn’t
turning around, and we’re not seeing favor? Too often we get
discouraged and think, God, why aren’t You doing something? You can
see I’m being mistreated. My health isn’t good. I worked hard, but I
didn’t get the promotion. We think that when it changes, we’ll be happy.
“When I meet the right person…” “When my health improves…” “When
we have our baby, we’ll have a good attitude.” That’s conditional trust.
We’re saying, “God, if You meet my demands, if You answer my prayers
in the way I want and according to my timetable, I’ll be my best.”
The problem with conditional trust is that there will always be things
we don’t understand, something that’s not happening fast enough,
something that doesn’t work out the way we want. The question is, are
you mature enough to accept God’s answers even when they’re not what
you were hoping for? God is a sovereign God. We’re not going to
understand everything that happens. Faith is trusting God when life
doesn’t make sense. There will always be unanswered questions. “Why
didn’t my loved one make it?” “Why am I not getting better?” “Why did
this person leave?” Some things are not going to make sense. But God
wouldn’t have allowed it if He weren’t going to bring good out of it. You
may not see it at the time, but God knows what He’s doing. He has your
best interest at heart. It’s not random. It’s a part of His plan. Dare to trust
Him.
From Darkest Hour to Brightest Hour
This is what happened in our family. When my father’s health started to
go downhill, we prayed just as hard for him as we had for my mother
when she had cancer. We quoted the same Scriptures. We asked God to
restore his health, to let him live, as He had my mother, but my father
went to be with the Lord. It didn’t happen the way I wanted. If I’d had
conditional trust, I would have gotten upset and bitter and said, “God,
why didn’t You answer my prayers?” The truth is, God did answer my
prayers. Just not the way I wanted.
I didn’t want to lose my father, of course. Besides being my dad, he
was one of my best friends. I’d worked with him at Lakewood for
seventeen years. We had traveled the world together. I didn’t know what
I would do when he was gone. But I found out that God had another plan.
He had something else for me to do. I couldn’t see it at the time. I wanted
God to do it my way, but God had a better way. I thought I would spend
my life behind the scenes, doing the television production, running the
cameras. I didn’t think I could get up in front of people. I didn’t know
this ability was in me.
God can see things in you that you can’t see in yourself. His plan for
your life is bigger than your plan. But it may not happen the way you
think. God doesn’t take us in a straight line. There will be twists, turns,
disappointments, losses, and bad breaks. They’re all a part of His plan.
But if you have conditional trust, you’ll get discouraged and think, Why is
this happening? I’m going the wrong way. But God is still directing your
steps. Trust Him when you don’t understand. Trust Him even when it
feels as though you’re going in the wrong direction.
What I thought would be my darkest hour, the loss of my father—and
I say this respectfully—in one sense turned out to be my brightest hour. It
launched me into what I’m doing today, onto a new level of my destiny.
But sometimes we so want things our way that we’re not going to be
happy unless they happen our way. “I can’t be happy unless I get the
house I want.” “Unless I meet the right person.” “Unless we have the
baby.” That’s out of balance. Anything you have to have in order to be
happy the enemy can use against you. It’s good to be honest with God
and tell Him your dreams. Tell Him what you’re believing for. “God, this
is what I want. I’m asking You to heal my loved one. Turn this problem
around. God, open these new doors.” It’s fine to ask, but then be mature
enough to say, “But God, if it never happens, if I don’t get the promotion,
if my loved one doesn’t make it, if my health doesn’t improve, I’m still
going to trust You.”
We can get so consumed with what we want that it can become like
an idol to us. It’s all we think about, all we pray about, always at the
forefront of our minds. Turn it over to God. Pray, believe, and then leave
it in God’s hands. Don’t get so focused on what you want that you miss
the beauty of this day. Everything may not be perfect. There may be
things that need to change. But God has given you the grace to be happy
today. It’s very freeing when you can say, “God, it’s in Your hands. I
trust You unconditionally whether it works out my way or not. I trust
You unconditionally even when I don’t understand it.”
“But Even If He Doesn’t…”
At the end of the last chapter, I told the story of the three Hebrew
teenagers who refused to bow down to the king’s golden idol and
declared to the king of Babylon, “King, we’re not going to bow down.
We know that our God will deliver us. But even if He doesn’t, we’re still
not going to bow down.” That’s unconditional trust. It’s saying, “I
believe God’s going to turn this situation around, but even if He doesn’t,
I’m still going to be happy. I believe I’m going to get the promotion. I
believe my health is improving. I believe the right person is coming. But
if it doesn’t happen, I’m not going to get bitter or sour. I know that God is
still on the throne. If He’s not changing it, He has a reason. My life is in
His hands.”
Dare to trust Him not just when things are going your way, but even
when you don’t understand it. The psalmist said, “God will work out His
plan for your life.” You don’t have to work it all out. You don’t have to
make it happen in your own strength, try to manipulate people, or fight all
your battles alone. Why don’t you relax and take the pressure off yourself
and let God work out His plan for your life? He can do it better than you
can. He knows the best path. That’s what the Hebrew teenagers were
saying. “We know God will deliver us from this fire. But even if He
doesn’t, we’re not going to get upset and start panicking. We know we’re
not doing life on our own. The Most High God, the Creator of the
universe, is working out His plan for our lives.” All the forces of darkness
cannot stop what God has ordained. Sickness can’t stop Him. Trouble at
work can’t stop Him. Disappointments and setbacks can’t stop Him.
You may have a lot coming against you. You feel as though you’re
about to be thrown into a fire. The good news is, you’re not going to go
in there alone. You can’t be put in that fire unless God allows it. The
enemy is not in control of your life; God is in control. He is working out
His plan. Sometimes His plan includes fiery furnaces. Sometimes it
includes giants, Red Seas, Pharaohs, and other people who don’t like you.
Sometimes obstacles will seem insurmountable. You don’t see a way, but
since you know the Lord is directing your steps, you don’t try to figure it
all out. It may look like the end, but, like those teenagers, you have
unconditional trust. “I know God will deliver me, but even if He doesn’t,
I’m still going to have a song of praise. I’m still going to have an attitude
of faith. I’m still going to live my life happy.”
The king had these teenagers thrown into the fiery furnace. The fire
was so hot that when the guards opened the door, they were instantly
killed. In a few minutes, the king came to check on them. He looked into
the furnace and couldn’t believe his eyes. He said, “Didn’t we throw in
three bound men? I see four men loosed, and one looks like the Son of
God.” What was that? God working out His plan for their lives!
Unconditional Trust
The three Hebrew teenagers were miraculously saved, but I wonder what
the outcome would have been if they had had conditional trust. “God, if
You deliver us from this fire, we’ll stay in faith. God, if You do it our
way, we’ll keep a good attitude.” Maybe the furnace would have been the
end. Maybe we wouldn’t be talking about them today.
If you want to get God’s attention, if you want Him to take you
where you’ve never dreamed and turn impossible situations around, be
like those teenagers and have a statement of faith: “I know God will
deliver me from this fire.” But then follow it up with, “But even if He
doesn’t, I’m still going to honor Him. I’m still going to be my best.”
When you live like that, you take away all the enemy’s power. If it
doesn’t work out, he’s expecting you to get upset, to be worried, to fall
apart, to live in self-pity. When you have unconditional trust, you can’t be
defeated. You may have challenges that look bigger and stronger than
you can overcome. On your own, you don’t have a chance. Don’t be
intimidated. The forces for you are greater than the forces against you.
The Scripture says in the book of Job, “You will not be harvested
before your time.” You may get thrown into a fire, but if it’s not your
time to go, you’re not going to go. God has the final say. Right now He is
working out His plan for your life. There may be some fiery furnaces.
Are you going to trust Him only if He delivers you from the fire? Only if
He takes away all the thorns? Only if He does it your way? Or are you
going to have unconditional trust? Will you trust Him like those teenagers
even if He takes you through the fire?
When I look back over my life, I see that many things haven’t turned
out the way I’d thought they would. I had a plan. I had it all figured out. I
told God what to do, when to do it, what I needed, whom to use, and how
to get me there. I gave Him good information, my very best. The funny
thing is, God didn’t take my advice. He had His own plan. I found that
God’s plan is always better than my plan. His ways have always been
more rewarding, more fulfilling, and bigger than my ways. If God had
done everything I asked, answered my prayers the way I wanted and
according to my timetable, it would have limited my destiny. I wouldn’t
be where I am. I couldn’t see it at the time. It didn’t make sense. But one
day I came to understand the words of the prophet Isaiah: “God’s ways
are higher than our ways, and His plans are better than our plans.”
Quit being discouraged over something that didn’t work out the way
you wanted. Don’t live frustrated because somebody left whom you
wanted to stay, or a door closed that you wanted open. God knows what
He’s doing. You may not see it now, but one day when you see what God
was up to, you’ll be glad He closed the doors. You’ll thank Him for not
answering your prayers. The longer I live, the more I pray, “God, let not
my will but Your will be done.” I don’t fight the closed doors anymore. I
don’t get frustrated when things aren’t changing as fast as I would like. I
know that God is in control. As long as you’re honoring Him and being
your best, at the right time God will get you to where you’re supposed to
be. It may not be where you thought, but God is going to take you further
than you ever imagined.
It’s All Working for You
I believe in praying for our dreams and praying bold prayers, believing
for big things. But I’ve learned to let God do it His way. Hold tightly to
what God put in your heart, but hold loosely to how it’s going to happen.
Don’t get set in your ways. Don’t be discouraged because it hasn’t
happened the way you thought. God is working out His plan for your life.
A few years after Victoria and I were married, we sold our town
house and were going to buy our first home. We were so excited. We
looked for months and months and finally found a house that we really
loved. It was on a beautiful lot with big trees, so picturesque. It was our
dream house. We made an offer that was not much less than the sellers
were asking. We didn’t hear back for a couple of weeks, but the house
was empty, so we would go out at night and pray over it, thanking God
that it was ours and dreaming about living there. “There’s where we’ll put
our dining room table.” “There’s where we’ll put a swing set one day.”
We were sure it was going to happen, but the sellers called back and said
they weren’t going to accept our offer. Well, we knew that had to be the
devil trying to take our house because it was supposed to be ours. (Have
you noticed the devil gets blamed for a lot of things he has nothing to do
with?) We went back to that house and started marching around it,
praying, binding, loosing, doing everything we could. A few days later,
the owners sold it to somebody else.
Have you ever felt as though God had let you down? He could have
changed it so easily. We were right there, but the door closed. We said,
“God, where were You? This was our dream house.” But if you’re only
going to be happy if God does it your way, that’s not trusting Him; that’s
giving God orders. You’ll be frustrated. Why don’t you put your life in
His hands? He knows what’s best for you. He can see things that we can’t
see.
A few months later, we found another house close to the city. We
purchased that place. A few years after that, we sold half of that property
for more than we paid for the whole property. We ended up building a
new house there. God blessed us in ways greater than we’d ever
imagined. Now sometimes I’ll drive back by that other house I wanted so
badly and say, “Lord, thank You for closing that door. Thank You that it
didn’t work out.” With some of the things that are not working out in
your life now, one day you’ll be doing as I did. “Lord, thank You that it
didn’t work out my way.”
You could save yourself a lot of frustration if you’d learn to have
unconditional trust. The closed doors, the disappointments, the delays—
it’s all working for you. And yes, it’s good to be determined. Be
persistent. But let God do it His way. If He’s not changing it, not
removing it, not opening it, don’t fight it. Learn to embrace where you
are. He’s given you the grace not just to be there but to be there with a
good attitude. If you’re going to pass the test, keep a smile on your face.
Keep a song in your heart. Keep passion in your spirit. Don’t drag
through the day disappointed. This is the day the Lord has made. He’s
still on the throne. He’s working out His plan for your life. He’s going to
get you to where you’re supposed to be.
Living worried, frustrated, and disappointed takes our passion, steals
our joy, and can keep us from seeing God’s favor. Sometimes the closed
doors and the disappointments are simply a test. God wants to see if we’ll
trust Him when we don’t understand, when life doesn’t make sense.
Pass the Trust Test
This is what happened with Abraham. He was seventy-five years old
when God promised him “to become a great nation” (see Gen. 12), and he
waited twenty-five years before the birth of his son Isaac. He and his
wife, Sarah, had prayed, believed, stood in faith, and finally seen the
promise come to pass. They were so excited. You can imagine how
Abraham must have felt many years later when God told him to take
Isaac to the top of a mountain and sacrifice him. That didn’t make sense.
Isaac was what Abraham loved the most. Isaac was the fulfillment of the
promise God had given him. Now God was asking him to put his dream
on the altar. Abraham didn’t understand it. It didn’t seem fair. But he was
obedient. He passed the trust test. And just as he was about to follow
through, God stopped him and said, “Abraham, don’t do it. Now I can see
you trust Me more than anything.”
As with Abraham, there will be times when God asks us to put our
dream on the altar. We have to show Him that we don’t have to have the
house to be happy. If we don’t have the baby, we’re not going to live
bitter and sour. You’re believing for your health to improve, but when
you can say, “If it doesn’t get better, God, I’m still going to honor You.
I’m still going to be my best,” you are doing what Abraham did. You are
putting your dream on the altar. And when God sees that you don’t have
to have it, many times God will give you back what you were willing to
give up.
During World War II, a writer named S. I. Kishor published a short
story in Collier’s magazine that begins with a young soldier in a library in
Florida. While he was reading a used book, he noticed handwritten notes
in the margin. They were very thoughtful and heartwarming. He turned to
the front of the book, and it just happened to show the previous owner’s
name, a lady named Hollis Maynell. He got hold of a New York City
telephone book and found her address. He wrote her a letter, introducing
himself and telling her how he was shipping out to Europe the next day.
He invited her to respond, so they could talk about the book. Much to his
surprise, he received a letter in return, and for the next thirteen months,
they wrote back and forth again and again, getting closer and closer. They
were actually falling in love even though they had never seen each other.
He had requested a picture, but she’d refused, saying that their looks
shouldn’t matter if they really cared for each other.
A year and a half later, he was coming back home through New York
City. This was their big opportunity. They were going to meet for the first
time and go out to dinner. She said, “I’ll be waiting for you when you get
off the ship. You’ll know it’s me by the red rose I’ll be wearing.” Sailing
back across the ocean, he was excited and nervous at the same time. He
stepped off the ship, and the big moment finally arrived. He saw a
beautiful young lady walking toward him who took his breath away. She
was stunning—tall, gorgeous features, in great shape. She looked like a
movie star. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. When he started
toward her, a smile curved her lips, and she said, “Going my way,
soldier?” But he was suddenly taken aback when he realized she wasn’t
wearing a red rose. As she passed by, he finally came back down to earth.
About that time, a lady in her forties walked up to him. She wasn’t all
that attractive, and she had graying hair, but she was wearing the red rose.
Disappointed, but not showing it, he walked up to her with a smile. He
saluted and said, “I’m Lieutenant John Blandford, and you—you are Miss
Meynell. I’m so glad you could meet me. May—may I take you to
dinner?” The lady said, “I don’t know what this is all about, son. That
young lady in the green suit, who just went by, she asked me to wear this
rose on my coat. And she said that if you asked me to go out with you, I
should tell you that she’s waiting for you in that big restaurant across the
street.” It had been simply a test.
Will you do the right thing when it’s hard? Will you trust God when
the situation isn’t what you’d thought? Will you trust Him when you
don’t understand it? God said to Abraham, “Because you did not
withhold your only son, I will surely bless you and make your
descendants as numerous as the sand on the seashore.” When you do as
Abraham did, as this young soldier did, and pass the trust test, God will
not only give you the desires of your heart, He’ll do more than you ask or
think.
Are you living frustrated because your prayers aren’t being answered
the way you want? Your plans aren’t working out? Take the pressure off.
God is in control. You’re not always going to understand it. If you did, it
wouldn’t take any faith. I’m asking you to trust Him unconditionally. If
you’ll do this, I believe God is going to work out His plan for your life.
He’s going to open the right doors, bring the right people to you, turn
negative situations around, and take you to the fullness of your destiny.
BLESSED IN THE DARKNESS 