You May Not Understand Now, But One Day It Will All Make Sense
John 13:7 & Romans 8:32 — Trusting the God Who Sees the Whole Story
Earlier this morning, I shared a post encouraging those who are spirit-filled and spiritually gifted through the wilderness moments we so often face. Those moments, sometimes morphing into whole seasons of our lives, are shared frequently in correspondence here. While they are deeply refining moments and seasons, many more than I’ve ever witnessed before are wrestling with God’s call into solitude and deeper communion with Him in this particular season.
As I sat with that post and considered the weight so many are carrying, I turned again to His Word, seeking passages that would offer fresh hope and sustenance right on the heels of the wilderness teaching. These two Scriptures rested on my heart like gentle hands steadying a trembling one. They carry the same quiet, steady hope that has carried so many of us through seasons we never would have chosen. I pray they will bless you today as you continue on your walk, whether in the wilderness or in the world, with Him.
The Upper Room Mystery (inspired by a study of John 13:7 from Mike Winger)
John 13:7 is a message of hope. It reminds us that even though we may go through difficult times, God has not forgotten about us. Some things in life may not make sense to us in the moment, but over time God’s reasoning for doing or allowing certain things to happen in life becomes justified.
On the night before the cross, Jesus knew exactly what was coming. He knew Judas would betray Him. He knew Peter would deny Him. He knew the disciples would scatter. And still, He got up from the table, wrapped a towel around His waist, and washed their dusty, calloused feet.
Peter protested, of course. It didn’t make sense. The Teacher shouldn’t be acting like the servant. But Jesus answered with words that have comforted believers for two thousand years:
You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand. (John 13:7)
That “later” came. It was after the cross. After the empty tomb. After Pentecost. After all of these things, Peter finally understood that the washing was a picture of the cleansing only Jesus could give, and that the path to glory often runs through apparent humiliation and confusion.
We are living in our own “upper room” moments more often than we realize. Perhaps it was an unexpected loss or diagnosis that blindsided you. Perhaps a relationship shifted or ended without warning. Perhaps a door closed when you were certain it was supposed to open. Perhaps there was no “cause,” beyond God’s desire for you at a given time in your walk, where He called you into a wilderness season that feels longer and more confusing than it should.
In those moments the enemy loves to whisper, “God has forgotten you.” But the truth is far gentler: You may not understand what He’s doing right now, but one day it will all make sense.
God’s ways are higher than our own ways, and although we may not understand everything God does, we don’t need to. We must remain obedient to His Word, and have faith in God, trusting that He will get us through every storm in life.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
We don’t have to figure out the entire blueprint. We are not called to understand, but to lean on Him and His peace, which surpasses all understanding. We only have to keep our hand in His.
The Logic of Unfailing Love (Romans 8:32)
God has gotten you to where you are today, and nothing is stopping Him from taking you even higher. The apostle Paul gives us the strongest possible foundation for that confidence:
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)
This is not wishful thinking. This is courtroom level logic from the greatest love letter ever written. If God was willing to give the most precious thing in the universe – His own Son – for you, why would He suddenly become stingy with grace, provision, healing, wisdom, or strength? The cross proves He is not holding back. The cross is the receipt that every other promise is already paid for.
Don’t lose hope in God, but renew your faith and your heart daily. He hears your prayers, and is faithful to answer. Stay faithful and stay reliant on Him alone, because one day He will remove all your pain, struggle and sorrow and bring you to a place of perfect peace. This is His promise. Staying in His righteousness and being faithful to His heart, praising Him no matter the circumstances, is the way we remain in His favor.
Praise is not denial of the pain. It is defiance against despair. It is choosing to agree with heaven when earth feels like it’s falling apart. When Paul and Silas sang in the Philippian jail, the prison shook. When Jehoshaphat sent worshippers ahead of the army, the enemy turned on itself. Praise doesn’t always change the situation immediately, but it always changes us… and it invites God’s presence into the middle of the mess.
Broken Down to Be Built Up
Sometimes God allows us to be broken down before He comes in and builds us up. Stay faithful and stay reliant on Him alone, because one day God will remove all your pain, struggle and sorrow and bring you to a place of perfect peace. This is the pattern of the Kingdom.
A seed must fall into the ground and die before it produces many seeds (John 12:24). The potter sometimes has to smash the vessel and start again to make something more beautiful and useful (Jeremiah 18:4). Jesus Himself was “a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3), and through His breaking, the world was healed.
The breaking is not punishment. It is preparation. It is the loving hand of a Father who refuses to leave us shallow, self-sufficient, or half-alive. And in the breaking, He is never closer:
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18)
One day, whether in this life or the next, the breaking will be over. Every tear will be wiped away. Every injustice made right. Every confusion cleared. Until then, we live in the beautiful tension of trusting the One who already sees the finished story.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. (Isaiah 26:3)
Closing Thoughts and A Gentle Invitation
If you’re in a season where nothing makes sense, you are not alone. You are not forgotten. You are not being punished. You are being held by the same hands that washed feet and carried a cross.
Renew your mind in His Word today. Speak His promises out loud. Offer the sacrifice of praise even when your heart feels heavy. He is not finished with you. The best chapters are still being written.
You may not understand what He’s doing right now… but one day it will all make sense. And until that day, He is enough.
May God bless and keep you.
Reflection Questions for Your Quiet Time
- Where in your life right now are you struggling to understand what God is doing? Can you lay that “why” down at His feet and trust the “later” He has promised?
- What would it look like for you to praise Him in the middle of the confusion instead of waiting until it passes?
- Which promise from Scripture (Romans 8:32, Isaiah 55:8-9, Psalm 34:18, or another) can you carry with you today like a shield?
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)