By Pastor Vinnie Cappetta
Faith in Real Life Series: Walking by Faith
When God Doesn't Make Sense
Scripture
"By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, 'It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.'"
— Hebrews 11:17–18 (NIV)
Devotional
Have you ever read something in the Bible and thought,
"Lord... I don't understand."
If we're honest, most of us have.
Abraham had to be wondering the same thing.
God had promised that Isaac would be the son through whom a great nation would come. Then, years later, God told Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice.
The command didn't seem to fit the promise.
Yet Abraham obeyed.
One of the hardest parts of following Christ is accepting that God doesn't always explain Himself. We like clarity. We want the plan before we take the first step. We want to know where the road leads before we leave home.
But that's not how faith works.
God reveals enough for us to obey, then asks us to trust Him with what we cannot yet see.
Isaiah reminds us, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD (Isaiah 55:8).
That verse isn't meant to discourage us.
It's meant to comfort us.
If God thought exactly like we do, He wouldn't be much of a God.
His wisdom is greater than ours.
His perspective is eternal.
His purposes are always good, even when they are hidden from us.
There will be seasons when God's providence seems confusing. Doors close that we thought He had opened. Prayers seem to go unanswered. Circumstances don't line up with our expectations.
In those moments, remember this:
You don't have to understand God's hand if you've learned to trust His heart.
Abraham didn't know how everything would come together.
He simply knew the God who had made the promise.
Sometimes that's all faith needs.
Reflect
Is there something in your life that doesn't make sense right now?
How might trusting God's character change the way you view your circumstances?
Pray
Father, there are times when I don't understand what You're doing. Help me resist the temptation to demand answers before I obey. Teach me to trust Your wisdom, Your timing, and Your heart, knowing that You are always working for Your glory and my good. Strengthen my faith when understanding is beyond my reach. Amen.
Memory Verse
"All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth."
— Hebrews 11:13 (NIV)
