How to Trust God’s Timing in My Pain

As I read Isaiah 55:8-9 this morning, it reminds me that  “‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the LORD. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’” (NLT)

It would be foolish of me to act as if I knew what God was thinking and planning. For His knowledge and wisdom are far greater than mine. It would also be foolish for me to try to fit God into my mold, to make his plans and purposes conform to mine. Rather, I must strive to fit into his plans. 

When I’m in pain and I pray and don’t see the answers, should I give up? No, my role is to keep praying and to keep trusting God for the answer, because I know that everything he does and everything he allows, he will use for good. I need to accept a “No,” a “Slow,” a “Grow,” or a “Go” because I know that God is a good Father, even when I’m in pain.

If a doctor performs surgery on me, that’s going to cause some pain. But if that surgery saved my life, would I say it’s a bad doctor? No, because my life has been saved!

What I’m Learning is that when God doesn’t immediately end my pain, he’s saying to me that, “My grace is sufficient for you, and you can handle a little pain, and even a lot of pain, because he is with me and is going to use this for my good.”

I’ve had a lot of pain in my life. In fact, almost everything I’ve learned, I’ve learned through pain. I’ve learned nothing or little from pleasure or success. But I’ve learned boatloads through pain. God is more interested in making me a man of God than he is in making me comfortable in the short-term. I’ll get to be comfortable for all of eternity in heaven.

In today’s passage, I read, “‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT).

While I”m praying at one level, God is thinking about my life at a much higher level and from a much bigger perspective. He wants good for my life even more than I do.

In summary, God’s thoughts are nothing like mine, and his ways are far beyond anything I could imagine. His ways and thoughts are on a different and higher plane than mine.  It would be foolish of me to act as if I knew what God was thinking and planning. For His knowledge and wisdom is far greater than mine. It would also be foolish for me to try to fit God into my mold, to make his plans and purposes conform to mine. Rather, I must strive to fit into his plans. My role is to keep praying and to keep trusting God for the answer, knowing that everything he does and allows, he will use for good. I need to learn to accept a “No,” a “Slow,” or a “Grow,” because I know that God is a good Father, even when I’m in pain. When God doesn’t immediately end my pain, he’s saying to me that, “My grace is sufficient for you, and you can handle a little pain, and even a lot of pain, because he is with me and is going to use this for my good.” Almost everything I’ve learned, I’ve learned through pain. What I’m finding is that God is more interested in making me a man of God than he is in making me comfortable in the short-term. While I’m praying at one level, God is thinking about my life at a much higher level and from a much bigger perspective. He wants good for my life even more than I do.

Father, I need to patiently endure and have faith that you use all things for my good. I need to learn to look at and enjoy what you are doing, as you are preparing me for my mission. Father I ask for wisdom and guidance for my career plans, finishing well, my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. I ask these things through your Son Jesus’ name, amen.