An Incomprehensible Plan - Fresh Start for Moms

THERE IS ONE OVERARCHING TRUTH about God that has the potential to turn our attitudes around more quickly than anything else: God’s ways are on a whole other level than ours. And there’s an equally compelling truth about ourselves: we do not have all the facts.

I have to remind myself often of this second point, even if I like to think I have the most facts of anyone in my household. The level of vision that God has compared to mine is vast and thorough and extensive and every other word in the thesaurus that even comes close to all-knowing. Isaiah 55:8-9 gives us this perspective: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (ESV).

I love seeing this truth in action as we read about the Lord preparing Moses to go to Egypt and confront Pharaoh. Exodus 6:1 says, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. When he feels the force of my strong hand, he will let the people go. In fact, he will force them to leave his land!”

I can imagine how Moses must have heard that promise. If you were Moses, would you have expected ten plagues before Pharaoh finally threw the Israelites out of Egypt? I would have expected to do my little staff-into-serpent thing, then a little turning the Nile River into blood, and then—shazam—we’d be on our way. Moses heard the promise straight from God’s mouth that he would deliver his people, but even he could be thrown off, assuming God had messed up or forgotten him. Why? Because like I mentioned earlier, God’s ways are on a whole other level from ours.

This is why, in those moments when I’ve prayed for peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7) or for joy to come in the morning (Psalm 30:5) and I’m still not seeing those promises materialize, I have to remember that I’m not seeing the full picture. We may never understand the big things that happen to us—like why our child was born with a heart defect—or the small things, for that matter—like why our kid won’t sleep through the night. There are a lot of things we are not going to understand.

And when we encounter situations that are beyond our comprehension, we can rest knowing that it’s okay not to understand. In fact, this is actually perfectly normal. And when we keep in mind how big our God is, we can respond to these unknowns without shocked faces or face-palm moments.

The next time you’re tempted to shake your head in utter dismay at the way motherhood looks, remember God’s perspective on your life. Just because you can’t explain it doesn’t mean it’s not right on track. And even if you’re following God’s leading to adopt a child or start a business or stay at home for a season, it might still look messy at times.

In None like Him, Jen Wilkin says that God himself is incomprehensible. “This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”^a Doesn’t it stand to reason that his plans are incomprehensible as well, since they were created by an incomprehensible God? The unknown is scary, but when we start with the character of God, it can actually be exciting, too. The fact that we don’t know all there is to know about God means there are more amazing things to learn about him. There isn’t some dark, hidden closet—just more of the good stuff that drew us to him in the first place. In the face of unknown circumstances, I want the truth about who God is to crowd out the fear I feel or the desire I have to control the situation. I want to wake up excited to look for and find out just a little bit more about God each day.

ACTION STEP

Write down the craziest thing in your life that you don’t understand right now. Then in a big, bold Sharpie, write over it, “I don’t understand this, but God does.”

PRAYER

Father, why? Some days, I feel that’s all I have the strength to utter. And although I don’t understand, and my lack of understanding frustrates me sometimes, help me to see the beauty in the incomprehensible. Remind me of your high-level view that can’t possibly compare to mine. In Jesus’ name, amen.

MORNING QUESTIONS

TAKEAWAY TODAY | Think of an incomprehensible situation you have faced in the past. Does it make more sense in retrospect?

What are some specific traits about God’s character that you want to remember today?

DREADING TODAY | Is there anything you’re dreading today?

REDEFINING TODAY | If so, what is another way you can view that thing you’re dreading?

ASKING GOD TODAY | What request are you bringing before the Lord today?

EVENING QUESTIONS

REFLECTION | What unknowns did you face today? How did you respond to these circumstances that were outside your control?

LITTLE VICTORIES | Where did you see God show up even in small ways, reminding you that you aren’t alone?

WHITE FLAG MOMENTS | When did you want to hide or escape today?

MEMORY OF THE DAY | What do you want to relish and thank God for?