“God, why did You let that happen?”
“Lord, why haven’t You answered my prayers?”
“God, why aren’t You doing something about this?”
“God, why would You ask me to do that?!”
Have you ever asked God questions like these? I know I have. You are about to read stories from people who trusted God’s heart even though they didn’t understand His way.
In theory, trusting God is easy. As Christians, we know it’s what we’re “supposed” to do. In fact, it’s often the first piece of advice we offer in the face of a dilemma. “Just trust God, brother,” we say. “Do what He says, sister. God won’t fail you.”
But saying it and doing it are two very different things, especially when the wait is long, the circumstances are painful, and our prayers seem to go unheard.
In tight circumstances, it’s easy to want to grab hold of a situation (or person!) and force an outcome. Waiting makes us feel out of control. We grow anxious, fearful, and even angry with God. All too often, we find ourselves following our emotions instead of God’s leading. But, as you are about to learn, trusting God and waiting on Him are worth the effort, because blessings come through trusting God.
Of course, we usually expect God’s blessing to be pleasant. After all, if God is good, then shouldn’t everything He allows us to go through be good, too? We want the promotion, good health, financial prosperity, freedom, opportunity—all the good things we can think of. And sometimes, God does bless us with those beautiful things.
But other times, God’s blessings are the fruit of our persevering in trust through a long wait or uncomfortable circumstance. It’s through those difficult moments that God reveals His treasure, faithfulness, and power in ways that, but for the pain and the wait, we never would have known. After reading this issue, you’ll see what I mean.
For me, trusting God became possible the day I realized He loved me. I had heard and recited John 3:16 a million times growing up—“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (NIV). I believed in the concept of God loving people and sending His Son to save us. I even had faith to trust Him for salvation through His Son, Jesus.
But I didn’t understand that God Almighty, the Creator of the universe and everything in it, loves me, myself, as an individual. I didn’t realize He sees me, knows me, cares about every detail of my life, has a specific plan for me, and is on my side (Psalm 139). My life and faith changed the day I grasped that God treasures and delights in me (Psalm 18:19). He delights in you, too!
Have you ever realized that God loves you as an individual? That He sees you and delights in every detail of your life? That out of His love, He has crafted a plan and a purpose for your life? And that His plan, no matter how difficult, can be trusted?
I pray that, as you read this issue of Victorious Living, you will have a fresh revelation of God’s love and that His love will make you complete. May you, as Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:18–19, have “the power to understand…how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ…[and] be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God” (NLT).
Friend, once you understand God’s love for you personally and root yourself deep in His love, you’ll find the strength to make it through even the most challenging storms (Ephesians 3:17), and you’ll see God accomplish for you more than you can imagine or hope (Ephesians 3:20).

Kristi Overton Johnson

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