Just Wondering

Have you ever wondered what the disciples thought the day Christ died—were they profoundly bewildered? What were Mary’s feelings just before she told Joseph of her pregnancy, or as she watched her baby boy, now a man, hang on a cross? Has it ever crossed your mind to wonder what Daniel’s thoughts were on the day he was tossed to the lions, or what went through Joseph’s mind when he was forgotten in a gruesome, sweltering dungeon? Did David’s heartbeat double as he collected those five smooth stones or did Hannah cry herself to sleep during the years of infertility?

You and I may already know the endings to those magnificent true stories. They are amazing! But today, you don’t know the end of your story. Perhaps you long for a child or for relief from those looming giants called fear, loss, anxiety, and betrayal, or maybe you feel imprisoned by another person’s demands. How will your story end?

God provides biblical accounts to embolden our faith, to provide hope when life appears impossible. And here’s the great news: God was sovereign then and He is sovereign now! His unchanging, divine nature means He cannot be more faithful or more loving because He is already perfect. He was faithful then; He remains faithful now. His unconditional love existed then; it remains entirely unconditional now.

So today, what is your story? What dark, consuming, and terrifying thickets are you walking through? And do you wonder where God is in the midst of that underbrush? Remember, the men and women in the Bible didn’t know the end of their stories, but God was faithful. Just as a new chapter in the story of his people was being written, Moses encouraged a new generation of Israelites to remember God’s faithfulness in the past: “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart” (Deuteronomy 8:2 NIV).

Have you ever wondered how your crisis will be resolved . . . how your pain will find relief . . . how your life will turn out? Your story contains grandeur just as those in centuries past. But your story isn’t complete, so give God your life and remember He loves you—He still has a few more chapters to add to your story.

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Colleen Swindoll Thompson holds a bachelor of arts degree in Communication from Trinity International University as well as minors in psychology and education. Colleen serves as the director of Reframing Ministries at Insight for Living Ministries. From the personal challenges of raising a child with disabilities (her son Jonathan), Colleen offers help, hope, and a good dose of humour through speaking, writing, and counselling those affected by disability. Colleen and her husband, Toban, have five children and reside in Frisco, Texas.