Have you ever been faced with a big decision and asked God for direction? Maybe life is a jumble of chaos and circumstances, whether caused by others or your own repeated choices? Have you ever asked Him to make it so obvious that you can’t miss it?
And finally, have you ever given God suggestions of what ‘obvious’ would look like for you? Let me hear your booming voice, Lord. Give someone a specific word of knowledge. Perhaps an angelic host choir or visitation with unmistakable directions such as what Mary, Joseph, and others in the Bible experienced. Then all you get is, well… crickets, the sound of silence, just nothing with a side of confusion? 🙋♀️
I’ve been there more times than I care to admit – even though I’m admitting it right now. Some of my more recent moments came with circumstances beyond my choosing. I had grown enough to know that, for me, fear was the root under it. I felt that I needed answers to be super obvious because I was afraid I’d screw up and get it wrong – making matters worse.
Funny thing about growth. You learn things and eventually get to a point where you know too much to just rinse and repeat old patterns and behaviors. I’m not saying I was miraculously cured of it, but let’s just say there was more intentionality behind my prayers as I was seeking His direction. The biggest one – being open to trusting His unknown plan and shutting my mouth when it came to giving ‘helpful’ suggestions to the all-knowing, Almighty YHWH. Easier said than done.
Noise comes when we look at the circumstances. When the loudest voice in the room becomes the thoughts in our head. Thoughts we begin to believe until they eventually come to mean some kind of verdict about ourselves.
Look at all of these problems.
It’s not right, just or fair.
But I thought I was doing all the right things.
Maybe it’s me – maybe I didn’t do enough. I’m not enough.
How do we trust when circumstances are loud and direction isn’t obvious? That’s probably why we ask God to make His direction obvious in a big and special way. We trust Him, but we don’t yet trust our ability to hear Him correctly, so we ask for an answer we can’t possibly miss. Does He sometimes answer that way? Yes. Yet 1 Kings 19:11-13 reminds of us another way. In the NLT it states:
“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Elijah was going through it. He was in the midst of the drama with Jezebel. He was afraid, exhausted, feeling very much alone, and fleeing for his life. God met him there and continued the conversation, much like He does with us. Elijah could see the threat surrounding him, and his own words reveal how alone he felt. But Elijah’s perception wasn’t the whole story. God was present.
Yes, God can speak in spectacular ways. He also speaks in the quiet. Are we still enough to notice Him amid the noise life presents?
God listened to Elijah and then corrected his distorted belief that he was the only one left. I remember seasons when I’ve felt alone too. I began to hear God’s questions when I became still enough – quieting my list of worries, fears, and complaints – to listen. Then I allowed His words to become louder than the noise surrounding me.
And just as He did with Elijah, God gently corrected my distorted view: I was not alone.
Over the years, I’ve found myself saying, “I trust you, God.” I can sing all the songs, say all the prayers, and read all the Scriptures out loud that I want saying that I trust Him. But what happens when circumstances happen not of my making? When I am left standing there thinking, why does stuff still hit the fan when I’m standing in trust and faith?
I know we live in a fallen world where people have free will. But knowing difficult things happen doesn’t necessarily reveal what I’m believing while they’re happening. That brought me to the deeper question underneath it all: What am I actually believing about the character of the One I am trusting?
In other words, you can say the words and feel like you believe them, or at least want to believe them. And that’s okay! It’s a great place to start. But there comes a time when we’re hit with that deeper question.
Scripture tells us God’s character. In church, in the car, or at home we sing songs that speak to His goodness. A lot are inspired by Scripture. At times, certain songs strike me in a different way. Recently, it’s been Graves into Gardens – Elevation Worship (featuring Brandon Lake).
I looked more closely at the Scriptures which likely inspired some of the lyrics:
He turns graves into gardens — Ezekiel 36:35-36
He turns dry bones into an army — Ezekiel 37:1-10
He turns seas into highways — Exodus 14:21-29; Isaiah 43:16
He turns mourning into dancing — Psalm 30:11
He gives beauty for ashes — Isaiah 61:1-3
He exchanges shame for honor — Isaiah 61:7
He is God of the mountain — 1 Kings 20: 23 & 28; Psalm 121:1-2
He is God in the valley — Psalm 23:4, 1 Kings 20:23 and 28
He’s the only One who can… 
I couldn’t help but see how these paint a picture of God’s character. He is present with us. And He remains sovereign through it all, even when we walk through tough things. My hope is you’ll take time to maybe read these Scriptures over time and ask, Lord, what do You want me to see about your character here?
I’ve come to learn that when I say God is truly my Source then…
He’s the source of my safety.
He’s the source of my identity.
He’s the source of my provision.
He’s the source of my contentment.
He’s the source of my wisdom.
He’s the source of my strength.
He’s the source of my transformation.
All that is… is because of Him.
Listen, I don’t always hit the mark on this. And it’s okay if you struggle to see or believe any of these. Start where you are. Then I’d encourage you to pray: “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” – Mark 9:24.
Because His character does not change, we can trust that He is with us and, in Christ, for us – even when we don’t understand what is happening or how He will lead us through it. And when stuff happens… remember:
✨Circumstances may expose who or what I’m trusting, but they don’t determine who God is. ✨
He’s the Only One Who Can
