Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Henry Blackaby
Developed in the Dark
Faith is like film…it is best developed in the dark because it takes little faith when things are going well and the sun is shining. It is only when the darkness has swallowed us up and there appears to be no hint of light that we must put our trust in God. Even in the darkness, God is still there. He wants us to learn to trust Him even in the storm and when everything seems to be falling apart around us. That is faith that God is pleased with.
Father Knows Best
Years ago, there was a TV show called, “Father Knows best,” but I see that title as God the Father knows best…always! For example, when my son was very young, he never questioned what I asked him to do because he knew that I loved him (as I do today of course), but when we took a ride to the top of Colorado’s Pike’s Peak one time, he thought I must have been wrong about this. The higher we went, the more worried he looked. It was only when we made it to the top that he was okay with it. Even though he wasn’t sure about the trip up the mountain, he was sure about the one who was going with him (me).
Obedience Before Understanding
Returning to my son, he never understood the reasons why I had him do certain things in life. Only later, especially when he had his own children, would he fully understand what I was doing as his father and why I was telling him to do things. The point is that obedience often comes before we understand why. If we don’t obey God to begin with, we’ll never understand why God does certain things in our life, but if we obey without even knowing all the reasons why, then our understanding will become clear someday, even if it doesn’t come until the kingdom of God arrives.
Unquestionable Love
When a person loves someone, they can love them so much that they become blind to the things around them…even to their hurt, however since God loves us, we should never question a directive from Him. Even if it doesn’t make sense to us, it does to God and only later, does it make sense to us. To obey is more important than to understand. If we really trust God, we know that whatever happens to us is for our very best (Rom 8:28). We have God’s word on that and that should be enough for us.
Conclusion
It’s so easy to start questioning God when things go bad, but that’s like the clay pot asking the Potter why did you make me so. Instead, if we remember that faith is best developed in the dark and not the light; and if we trust God to always know what’s best for us; if we obey God even before we fully understand why, it’s because of our love for God doesn’t depend on what things look like. It depends on the one Whom we love.
