“He does great things beyond our knowing” (Job 37:5).

“Trust in God’s plan for you”. 

We can have a tendency to plan out every stage of our life, setting goals for where we want to be by a certain point. We have an idea of what our life should look like and when things should happen. Sometimes, our life goes as we planned, but sometimes, our life is vastly different than how we thought it would or even should be. And when our plans and goals do not happen the way we think they should, we can lose our trust in God and His plan for our lives.

Often, when we hear the phrases “trust in God” and “God has a plan for you,” our minds can go one of two places: We step back and do nothing, or we focus only on our goals and plans and forget God completely. We either do not want to take responsibility for our own life, or we rely only on ourselves to achieve our goals. In either instance, we act on feelings of restlessness, frustration, anger, and sadness that lead us to doubt and grow distrustful in God. Instead of living courageously, we live resentfully.

It is easy to trust in God when our plans seem to align with God, but it is extremely difficult to trust in God or that there is even a plan when life is not going as we had hoped. The moments when it is the most difficult to trust God are the ones that take the most courage—courage and the knowledge that our joys and sufferings have a purpose.

The Book of Job is a story of courageous trust in God, regardless of current circumstances. Job, a righteous and holy man, continues to praise God in his joys and sorrows. The heartbreak and loss that he experiences lead him to despair and doubt and even to question the purpose and goodness of God. Yet, even in his despair and sorrow, he rests in the knowledge that God “does great things beyond our knowing” (37:5). God continues to work in Job’s life through the brokenness and hardship to bring him great joy and happiness.

Like Job, God is doing great things in our lives, even when we do not feel like God is working in our lives at all. Job continues to put God in the center of his life as he loses everything—his livestock, property, family, and friends. We, like Job, need to continue to put God at the center and have courage in the knowledge that God knows what we need, when we need it. It is not just trusting in God and believing that He is working in our lives but having the courage to live with God at the very center as He does amazing things for us.

Living courageously when God’s plan is not how we think our life should be going means having courage that His plan is better than anything we could ever dream off and resting in that knowledge. Let us not live in fear or despair but, rather, live with courage that our God has us in His hands and is doing amazing things for us, even if we cannot always see them. God is working in our lives; we only need to have the courage to trust in His purpose. 

Alexandra (Alex) Harrel resides in Greenville, Texas. She is a new student affairs professional within the world of higher education. In her spare time, she loves reading, listening to podcasts, and spending time outdoors. Her favorite prayer is Hail, Holy Queen. You can follow her on Instagram at @2012alexandra.