When You Can’t See God Working, He Still Is
I heard a sermon preached by Pastor Denny Duron not long ago, and he called it, “God is Always Doing So Much More Than You Think He Is.” It was a powerful word from the Lord, reminding us that no matter what’s going on in our lives, God is always at work. Even when it feels like life is falling apart, He is doing so much more than we could ever imagine.
With all credit going to Pastor Duron, I thought it might be helpful to take this idea and run with it a little bit… He started his sermon by mentioning a few Bible characters including Abraham, Joseph, Esther and David. If someone were to ask each of these folks (in the middle of their life stories), What do you think God is doing in your life?, it would likely generate an entirely different answer than if you asked God a similar question… God, what are you doing in Abraham’s life? Joseph’s life? Esther’s life? David’s life?
Let’s look at another case study. How about the apostle Paul? Remember, Paul started out as Saul, and Saul was intent on destroying the church. He went from house to house, finding believers and dragging them to prison. He approved of Stephen’s stoning, and he kept an eye on people’s coats while they witnessed Stephen’s gruesome death. He spoke murderous threats against disciples and traveled around looking for believers who he could take as prisoners.
- Saul, what do you think God is doing in your life? Most likely, Saul’s answer to this question would have been something along the lines of, absolutely nothing. I am actively working against God and all those who follow Him.
- God, what are you doing in Saul’s life? If God were to answer the same question, I wonder what He would have said. Maybe He would say that He was allowing Saul to zealously oppose Him so that when God confronted Saul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9) and he was baptized soon after, people would know that God was at work. Only God could orchestrate that dramatic of a transformation! Or maybe God would say, One day, I will use Saul/Paul’s past experiences to increase his passion for the spreading of the gospel around the world. He will be able to understand, relate to and reach more people and situations than disciples who have followed Me their entire lives.
God is always doing so much more than we think He is.
What about Rahab? The book of Joshua tells us that Rahab was a prostitute who helped two Israelite spies hide and then safely escape after they had scoped out Jericho, the city they were preparing to conquer under Joshua’s leadership.
- Rahab, what do you think God is doing in your life? I’m imagining Rahab saying something like this: I’m not really sure. My life is pretty messed up at the moment, and my friends and I have been hearing rumors about this powerful God who is with the Israelites. Honestly, we’re kinda scared of them because of that! I helped a couple of their spies, and I’m not sure if it was the right thing to do. They promised to keep me safe when their people come to conquer us, but who knows if they’ll keep their word. And even if they do, if I get exposed in the meantime, I might die anyway. Life is just one crazy mess right now.
- God, what are you doing in Rahab’s life? Wow, it’s so cool that Rahab’s story is in the Bible for us to read. Her story is told briefly in Joshua 2 and Joshua 6, but then she is also mentioned in Hebrews 11 and James 2 as an example of faith. Better yet, she is listed in the lineage of Jesus Christ found in Matthew 1. Maybe God’s answer to this question would have been something like this: Yes, she is pretty steeped in sin, but I know her heart. She has the courage and boldness to do the right thing for My people. I have put her in her exact position so she can save my spies and join the genealogy of my Son. My people will read about her faith in Scripture for generations to come, and she will inspire them to show similar courage when their moments come. I want them to be able to see that no matter your societal position and no matter how stuck in sin you are, you’re NEVER too far gone.
God is always doing so much more than we think He is.
What might God be up to in your life right now? What might He be doing in the life of your loved one who seems to have strayed so far away from the straight and narrow? Life circumstances that appear to be hopeless are not. Nobody is outside of God’s sovereign grasp, and no situation is happening apart from His knowledge. Although we often cannot see or understand what He’s doing, we can trust that He is at work.
If you’re ever feeling a little hopeless, confused or even restless, maybe you could stop for a few minutes and ask yourself these two questions:
- What does it feel like God is doing in my life?
- What might He actually be doing?
With shortsighted, earth-focused vision, it’s easy to give way to discouragement, impatience, despair and frustration. But with an eternal perspective that keeps eyes on the big picture, it might be a little bit easier to relax, trust in God and surrender to His constant and sovereign activity in our lives.
God is always doing so much more than we think He is.