Introduction

Yesterday I went with my wife and father-in-law to the theater to see Part 1 of The Chosen, Season 5. The theatrical release is combining episodes, so Part 1 is comprised of episodes 1 and 2. This season focuses on Holy Week, the days that start with Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and lead up to His crucifixion. For those of us watching from a modern perspective, it’s easy to approach the story knowing how it ends—with Jesus rising from the dead on Easter morning. But if we try to put ourselves in the shoes of His original disciples, the story becomes much more troubling and confusing.

They followed Jesus for the same reason we do—because they believed He was the Messiah, the Anointed One sent by God to redeem His people. However, as the show demonstrates, their understanding of what that meant was very different from the truth. Many of them believed that the Messiah would overthrow their Roman oppressors and establish a kingdom on earth. Yet Jesus kept talking about uninspiring things, like grains of wheat having to die to multiply, and even hinting that He Himself would have to die. What kind of Savior and Leader is this who is asking them to trust Him?

God’s Ways Are Higher

Jesus knew that following Him would not always make sense to us. He asks us to trust that He knows what He is doing, even when it doesn’t look like it. Thousands of years before Jesus’ earthly ministry, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah with this reminder:

“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 (NIV)

It’s not always easy to accept that God sees the bigger picture, especially when life is confusing or painful. But the Bible is filled with stories of people who had to trust God’s higher ways—even when those ways made no sense to them. I think one of the reasons these stories are included in the Bible is to show us that we can—and should—trust God even when it doesn’t seem to make sense to do so.

Stories of Trusting God Through Confusion

Abraham and Sarah

Abraham (then called Abram) waited 25 years for God to fulfill His promise that Abraham and Sarah (at the time called Sarai) would become a great nation (see Genesis 12:1-4, Genesis 15:1-6). Sarah was well past child-bearing age, making God’s promise seem impossible (see Genesis 17:15-21, Genesis 18:9-15, Genesis 21:1-7). And yet, Isaac was born.

Later, Abraham faced an even harder test when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac, the very child through whom the promise was supposed to come. It made no sense. But Abraham obeyed, trusting that God would provide. And God did, replacing Isaac with a ram at the last possible moment (see Genesis 22:1-18).

Moses

When God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses protested (see Exodus 3:1-22, Exodus 4:1-17). He had difficulty speaking and couldn’t understand why God would choose him for such a massive task. Then, after Pharaoh finally let the Israelites go (see Exodus 5-12), they faced the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army in hot pursuit. It looked like the end.

But God made a way—parting the sea for His people to pass through. What seemed impossible was made possible (see Exodus 14:1-31).

David

David was anointed as the next king of Israel while Saul still held the throne (see 1 Samuel 16:1-13). Years passed between David’s anointing and the moment he actually became king. During that time, Saul repeatedly tried to kill him (see 1 Samuel 18-26).

It must have seemed absurd for David to trust God’s promise in the face of so much danger. But he held on, and in time, God’s plan was fulfilled (2 Samuel 5:1-5).

Other Examples

• Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery (Genesis 37), and imprisoned (Genesis 39-41). But God used every hardship to position him to save countless lives during a famine (Genesis 41-47).
• Esther risked her life by approaching the king to save her people. She didn’t know how it would turn out, but she trusted God to be in control (Esther 2-7).
• Mary and Martha wept at the death of their brother Lazarus, not understanding why Jesus delayed in coming. But Jesus showed them that even death was not beyond His power (John 11:1-44).

Trusting God through Personal Struggles

None of us probably has to look far to find our own examples of situations where Jesus has called us to trust Him even though it made no sense. For me, there have been moments when I’ve had to stand by, feeling helpless, while loved ones battled illnesses and passed away. While I trust that they’re restored to full health now and celebrating with Jesus, I still miss them deeply.

I’ve lost jobs that I thought were secure. At the time, it made no sense that I was the one let go. And yet, I ended up in better situations each time. Looking back, I can see God’s hand, even when I couldn’t see it in the moment.

I’ve also done my best to raise my children, hoping to spare them from making the same mistakes I did. But I’ve had to watch them stumble, choosing their own path. It’s painful to see them struggle, but I’m learning to trust that God is still at work in their lives, just as He was in mine.

The list goes on, but I’ll move on to keep this from getting too long.

Trusting God in the Unknown

Through all of these situations, Jesus has asked me to trust Him. He’s spoken seemingly nonsensical words about wheat dying to multiply when I wanted answers about healing, jobs, or family restoration.

But even when I can’t see the purpose, I am learning to trust. Each time I step out in faith, I grow a little stronger, a little more rooted in the belief that God is in control. And even when I still feel overwhelmed like the disciples did during Holy Week, I find comfort in His promise, delivered through His Apostle Paul:

Conclusion: When It Makes No Sense

Trusting Jesus even when it doesn’t seem to make sense is not easy. But it is worth it. Each time we choose to trust Him, we strengthen our relationship with Him. We allow Jesus to reach through pain and confusion to give us His peace, to guard our hearts and minds.

The same Jesus who walked with His confused disciples through Holy Week walks with us today. He is still trustworthy. He is still working for our good. And He is still leading us toward the most nonsensical idea of them all: Easter. His victory over death. His resurrection and new life.

Call to Action

What about you? Have you faced situations where it made no sense to trust God, only to see Him come through in unexpected ways? Are you in the middle of one of those seasons right now, waiting for the breakthrough, for it all to make sense?

I’d love to hear your story. Share in the comments below how God has walked with you through confusing times. And if you’re struggling to trust Him now, I invite you to pray:

Let’s encourage one another to hold on to the One whose ways are higher than ours.