Hope Beyond Our Understanding

Daily Gratitude Year 9-Day 137: Today, I am grateful for hope beyond our understanding. 

My friend, Brenda, just shared this beautiful quote from Ann Voskamp in her grief:

A God who is beyond great, must, by definition, work in ways that are beyond our understanding."

She connected this scripture:

"Jesus replied, 'You don't understand now what I am doing, but someday you will'" John 13:7

It is hard to think about the "someday" in the grief of today. When we say God works in ways beyond our understanding, we often have this image of God in our head that looks more like Santa Claus than the One True God.

Our God answers prayers. I've seen him answer them in mysterious ways. Jehovah works things out, but his ways do not always make sense in the moment... or even in a lifetime. Some things, perhaps, will make no sense this side of heaven. Still, the longer we live... if He grants us more days and years... we will begin to see how His hand is in the weaving and in the details of everything.

I like this passage, too:

"Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!" -Romans 11:33

Some of His ways are beautiful and amazing. Other times, things He allows make no sense with our human eyes and understanding. God is simply impossible for us to understand, but with Him, all things are possible.

We can do new things. We can do hard things. We can do scary things. We can do joyful things. We can do medical things. We can do work things. All because, we have a Christ who gives us his strength.

Why, then, do I wait for my own strength to run out before I tap into His? Aren't we all works in progress? I will choose to be grateful for the lessons learned along the way. I am grateful we are never without hope when we are Children of the King.

Today, I am grateful for hope beyond our understanding.