Tag Archives: when god doesnt make sense

April 28, 2026 · 5:46 AM

But Lord Moments

I was reading in Acts 9 where God met Saul on the road to Damascus. Saul had papers in hand with permission to persecute believers and throw them in jail when God blinded him and called him to be a minister of the Gospel. God then spoke to a believer in Damascus named Ananias to go pray for Saul to receive his sight. Ananias responded like many of us, “But Lord!” He reminded God who Saul was and what he had come to do. Then God told him what He had in store for Saul. The Bible says that Ananias then went to find Saul and pray for him. Saul regained his sight and was baptized.

Ananias isn’t the only one to say, “But Lord,” to God. When God called Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, he said, “But Lord I can’t speak.” When Gideon was called upon to deliver Israel from Midian he said, “But Lord I’m too weak.” When Jeremiah was called to be a prophet, he said, “But Lord I’m too young.” When Peter was told to cast his nets on the other side of the boat, he said, “But Lord, it doesn’t make sense. I’ve been fishing all night.” In each of these instances, they did push back, but they also obeyed. Instead of trusting what they thought to be true, the believed what God told them. Each time, God responded to their hesitant faith.

When I’m faced with those same moments of hesitation, I think of Psalm 56:3. It says, “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you” (NLT). Honestly, our hesitation is born out of fear. We’re afraid of the same things these people in the Bible were afraid of. We think we can’t speak, we’re too timid, too young or that we will look foolish. We can be honest in those moment like the psalmist and admit we are afraid. However, we must also take that next step of faith and say, “Nevertheless I will trust you, Lord.” When we take that step of faith, God will strengthen you and meet you just as He did in each of the stories above. You can trust Him because He’s already standing in the place He’s called you to.

Photo by Katie Moum on Unsplash

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April 21, 2025 · 5:48 AM

Obedience Through Action

One of the great missionary stories I remember learning about from my childhood was the story of Jim Elliot. He and his wife felt the call of God to take the Gospel to an unreached people in Ecuador. In 1956, Jim and four other men went in to tell the Huaorani people about Jesus. They were killed by the tribe. After two years passed, Jim’s wife felt like God wanted her to go to that same tribe and try again. She, their daughter and the sister of one of the slain men went back to the Huaorani tribe and shared the Gospel. Many people gave their heart to the Lord, including some who killed her husband.

In Joshua 5, the Israelites had crossed the Jordan and were headed toward Jericho for their first battle in the Promised Land. As Joshua was getting near the town, he saw a man with a sword in his hand. Joshua asked Him, “Are you with us or against us. He replied, “‘Neither one,’ he replied. ‘I am the commander of the Lord’s army.’ At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. ‘I am at your command,’ Joshua said. ‘What do you want your servant to do?’” (NLT) He then tells Joshua to march around the city for seven days. On the seventh day, they needed to march around it seven times and then shout. If they obeyed, the walls would come down. It might not have seemed like it would work, but God was looking for obedience through action in order to give the victory.

Isaiah 1:9 says, “If you have a willing heart to let me help you, and if you will obey me, you will feast on the blessings of an abundant harvest” (TPT). What God asks us to do doesn’t always make sense. We must remember that His ways are higher than ours, and His thoughts are higher too. He sees what we can’t. Obedience is an act of trust, especially when we don’t understand. However, when we do trust and obey, His blessings follow. I wish we could have an experience with an angel like Joshua, but most of us will be like Elisabeth Elliott and need to obey having only heard God speak to our heart. Are you willing to be obedient even when it doesn’t make sense? Are you willing to trust God for to bring down walls using His strategy rather than yours? If so, your obedience through action will yield the results only God can give.

Photo by Kid Circus on Unsplash

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November 29, 2016 · 5:24 AM

Strange Obedience 


My uncle told me the story of how my grandfather once pastored a small town church. They were dependent week to week on the offerings to make a living. For whatever reason, there wasn’t enough in the offering one week for them to get groceries. As my grandfather prayed about it that Sunday afternoon, he felt God telling him to go to the post office. He argued that it was closed, but he went anyway. When he arrived, sure enough, there wasn’t anyone there. After sitting there a while, he decided to get out of his car and check the door. When he did, a man walked up, handed him money, and walked away without saying anything. 

I don’t know if the other guy argued with God or not, but I do know that he showed up to a place that was closed. It took faith on both sides. It’s hard to obey God when it doesn’t make sense, but that’s what God asks of us sometimes. Part of it could be that He’s testing us. Part of it could be that we ask God for ridiculous signs so we can make sure it’s Him. Whatever it is, obedience is key. A Biblical example of this is a Phillip in Acts 8. He was preaching in a town, people were getting healed and saved to the point he needed help from the other disciples. That’s when God asked him to do something that didn’t make sense. 

Acts 8:26 says, “Later God’s angel spoke to Philip: “At noon today I want you to walk over to that desolate road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza” (MSG). The instructions were very specific, but they didn’t make sense. Leave a place full of people accepting Jesus to go down a deserted road? Why would God ask him to do that. He could have questioned whether he heard God or not, but he didn’t. He obeyed. What he found was one man on a chariot on his way back to Ethiopia reading the book of Isaiah. 

He went up to him, explained what he was reading, and the man got saved. I’m sure it still didn’t make sense to leave many accepting Christ for one, but what we now know explains it. That eunuch went back to Ethiopia and started the Coptic church with has led many to Christ in Northern Africa through the centuries. Because of Philip’s obedience, generations have been affected, changed, and saved. God doesn’t just look at the immediate situation, He looks at the future situation. What doesn’t make sense now, may only make sense to future generations. 

Are you ready at a moment’s notice to obey when it doesn’t make sense?

Obedience is decided well before God asks. What can you do now to be prepared to obey later?

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