Trust God’s Heart

Have you ever done everything right and still watched everything fall apart?”

In those moments, we often ask, Why? But perhaps a better question is, Can God still be trusted when life doesn’t make sense?

December 23, 2023, is a day I’ll never forget.

Two days before Christmas, avian influenza struck our 75-year-old family business, and our entire flock of pheasants had to be euthanized as mandated by government officials. The business, founded by my husband’s father and now operated by our son as the third generation, had to start all over again.

We had done everything right. The disease that struck our flock was not the result of carelessness or neglect. Genetic testing revealed that during the migration of geese flying south, one dropped infected droppings into our pen, causing our birds to become sick.

In a matter of days, decades of work were gone.

For two weeks, we worked nonstop dealing with the repercussions of the disease. Then one Saturday, my son decided to take a break and go hunting. During the outing, he fell from a tree stand and broke his leg. Surgery followed, and for several weeks he managed the day-to-day operations of the business from a couch with his leg elevated.

Life is not just difficult at times—it can feel unfair.

As I walked through those days, I often thought about Job. In a single day, he lost his business, his wealth, and all ten of his children. Soon afterward, he lost his health as well.

I understand the sorrow of losing a child. The thought of losing ten children at once is beyond comprehension.

Yet in the depths of unimaginable grief, Job declared:

“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)

As we read Job’s story, we discover that his friends were quick to offer explanations. They assumed he must have done something wrong for God to allow such suffering.

But Job’s suffering was not the result of some secret sin. It was part of a story much bigger than he could see.

And isn’t that often true for us?

We want answers. We want to understand why bad things happen when we’ve done everything right. We want suffering to make sense.

The reality is that much of life is beyond our control.

Disease strikes. Accidents happen. Plans unravel. The future we envisioned suddenly looks very different.

Yet through it all, one thing remains unchanged: God is faithful.

Not faithful because He prevents every hardship.

Not faithful because He explains every mystery.

Not faithful because He always gives us the outcome we desire.

God is faithful because He never leaves us.

Looking back on those difficult months, I can honestly say that while God did not spare us from adversity, He sustained us through it. He provided strength when we were exhausted, wisdom when we faced difficult decisions, and hope when the future seemed uncertain.

The same God who was faithful before the crisis was faithful during the crisis and remains faithful today.

Job eventually learned that while he could not understand all of God’s ways, he could trust God’s heart. His circumstances changed, but God’s character did not.

The same is true for us.

There are questions that may never be answered on this side of heaven. But our confidence is not found in having all the answers. Our confidence is found in the unchanging character of God.

The flock may be gone.

The plans may change.

The future may be uncertain.

But God remains faithful.