Life is filled with periods when it feels as if we’re drinking confusion.
Lonnie had listened to church folks tell him how much God loved him. One day, he acknowledged his sin, repented, and accepted Jesus as his Savior. But shortly thereafter, he was confused when, at a church business meeting, the church voted to excuse themselves from a local men’s fellowship because African American churches were going to join. Didn’t God love all people? he wondered.
Garrett was confused too. He had accepted Christ when he was younger but had grown further away from Him. He and his wife rarely attended church. His first marriage had ended in divorce, and the present one was in trouble. Then his wife’s alcohol addiction led to a wreck that killed their youngest child. Couldn’t God have prevented this? Garrett questioned.
Carine had a heart for children’s ministry. When a new Vacation Bible School director brought in numerous children from the community, her heart was touched. She decided to begin a van ministry. Every Sunday, she picked up children and brought them to church. But when teachers threatened to give up their classes, when no one would sit with the children during church, and when no one made any attempt to speak to them, Carine was confused. Didn’t Jesus tell the little children to come to Him? she thought.
“You have been very hard on us, making us drink wine that sent us reeling” (Psalm 60:3 NLT).
David was also periodically confused. If God favored Israel, why did He occasionally let their enemies defeat them?
I, too, can throw my hat into the ring of confusion. God, if You love me, why the financial struggles, why the rebellious children, why the unemployment, why the layoff, why the betrayal, why the death, why the sickness, why the….
David discovered confidence amid his confusion. But you have raised a banner for those who fear you—a rallying point in the face of attack (Psalm 60:4). Whether it looked so or not, God was in charge and in control. What appeared as a mess to David wasn’t to God. What appeared to be unconcern wasn’t that at all.
The only way we can walk through periods of confusion with our faith intact and eyes looking upward and forward is to believe the same. God loves us and is ordering the steps of our lives—even when the evidence seems to point to the contrary.
Don’t let life’s periods of confusion dampen your faith in a loving God.
–Photo by Uday Mittal on Unsplash
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