When We Don't Understand

This Week’s Message: How to Trust in the Middle of What Makes No Sense

There are moments in life that just don’t add up. The loss that comes out of nowhere. The prayers that seem to go unanswered. The incredible suffering that occurs in this world. Our hearts ask honest questions. Why this? Why now? Why them? Why?

Scripture doesn’t brush those questions aside or pretend they’re easy. It reveals the truth about God — that His wisdom extends far beyond ours, that His timing rarely aligns with our schedules, and that His purpose often unfolds in ways we could never piece together from our current perspective. When we attempt to grasp what only God can explain, we end up feeling unsettled, exhausted, and afraid. When we place it back into His hands, we find a steadier ground that makes it okay not to understand everything.

You may not understand what is happening in your life or the world right now, but you don’t have to. The good news is that you are invited to trust the One who understands all things and loves you more than you can measure. Peace does not come from knowing every reason. Peace comes from knowing and trusting God’s heart and acknowledging that His plan far surpasses anything you could devise.

Bible Story: Joseph — The Plan Behind the Pain

(Genesis 37–50)

Joseph’s life looked like one heartbreak after another. Betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and thrown into prison. If anyone had the right to question God’s plan, it was him. From where he stood, everything looked like loss.

But years later, when he stood second in command over Egypt, Joseph finally saw what God had been doing all along. The famine that could have destroyed his family became the very thing that saved them. What once felt like punishment was actually preparation.

When Joseph said, “You meant evil against me; but God meant it unto good” (Genesis 50:20 KJV), he wasn’t just talking about his brothers — he was testifying to every one of us who has ever wondered why life hurts so much sometimes.

God’s purpose is rarely obvious in the moment. But even in betrayal, in confusion, in silence, and in deep pain, His plan is always moving forward.

Isaiah 55:8–9 (KJV) Tells Us:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith 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.”

Let’s break this down….

This verse reminds us that God sees life from a far higher place than we ever could. We view our situations through the very narrow lens of the moment, but God views them through the wide lens of eternity. When He says His ways are higher, He’s not dismissing our pain—He’s reminding us that His perspective is whole, complete, and perfect. We only see a page at a time; He sees the entire story—the whole library. And even when we can’t understand why something happened, we can trust that His thoughts toward us are always rooted in love, purpose, and goodness.

How to Live When You Don’t Understand

• Let questions draw you closer, not farther. You can bring your confusion to God; He’s not intimidated by it. Honest prayers keep your heart open.

• Choose trust over control. When you can’t fix it, release it. Say out loud, “God, I don’t understand this…But I trust You anyway.”

• Remember past faithfulness. Look back at the times throughout your life when He has carried you. Memories prove that His hand hasn’t changed.

• Find peace in the present. When you can’t see the whole story, focus on the next right step. Obedience often reveals clarity later.

• Be still. Silence and surrender aren’t the absence of something — it’s God teaching us to listen.

This Week’s Meditation

Anchored Reads Library

(Faith-strengthening books for when life doesn’t make sense)

• Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering — Timothy Keller
  👉 Get it on Amazon

• A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows Through Loss — Jerry Sittser
  👉 Get it on Amazon

• The Good and Beautiful God — James Bryan Smith
  👉 Get it on Amazon

• Anchored in God’s Love: A 30-Day Devotional — Amber Potter
  👉 Get it on Amazon

In Closing

You don’t have to understand everything to walk in peace. You have to remember who walks with you. Life will never make perfect sense here; it wasn’t meant to. Heaven holds all of the answers, and until we get there, trust is the bridge we must walk on.

So when you don’t see the plan, rest in the Planner. Even when you don’t understand the reason, trust the Redeemer. He has never once failed to turn confusion into clarity, pain into purpose, and endings into new beginnings.

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father, I don’t always understand what You’re doing, but I believe You’re still good. Help me to rest in what I know — that Your love never changes, that Your ways are higher, and that You see what I can’t. Teach me to trust when life doesn’t make sense and to find peace in Your presence, not in my understanding.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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_{I’m Amber, and this newsletter truly is a labor of love each week. I’m so grateful that you’re here, taking the time to read, reflect, and grow with me. I started Anchored in Faith because God placed it on my heart to share His goodness—to remind others that following Jesus changes everything. Thank you for letting me be part of your walk with Him.
See you here next Sunday. God bless you. 🙏🏻❤️}