When our desire for knowledge and revelation ram against the unapproachable wisdom and knowledge of God, where do we turn? The surest answer in those moments is to turn to His Word, where mercifully, God has already spoken. He has revealed something of His good intent and loving providence, enough so that through His Word we can generally answer our question.

“What is God doing?” we cry out. We cry it out in pain, in difficulty, in frustration – seeking answers to our questions. It’s hard to see, isn’t it?

Our vision for the work of God is obscured by our pain, or our confusion, or the trouble of life. We believe God is at work, but for the life of us, we can’t figure out what He might be up to. How do we respond in such times?

1. We Should Be Very Careful to Make Assumptions About What God MIGHT Be Doing

We have the tendency to look around us and make definite pronouncements of what the Lord is doing. We do so with the best of intentions. For example, we might walk through some difficult time. Maybe a prolonged illness or some financial difficulty. Then, at some point in the future, we are able to look and see the good that God brought out of that suffering. Perhaps He used that period to form in us a greater faith. Or perhaps He used it to bring a marriage back together. Or perhaps He used it to position us in another job or opportunity. We are able to look and see the real life example of Romans 8:28 – that God indeed does work all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

So we look and see this good God has wrought, and in an effort to give testimony about what He has done, we say something like, “At the time I didn’t understand why I was going through this, but now I see clearly what God was doing.” It’s a noble attempt, and it certainly has the right spirit behind it, but we should still be very careful in making pronouncements like that. 

Sure, we might be able to see some of the good God has brought from hardship.

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