Years ago, when I was in seminary, Hannah and I were sitting in LAX waiting to go to Israel. There were a couple of Orthodox Jewish rabbis waiting for the flight too, so I began to talk to them. They asked me what I did and I told them that I’m a pastor and then they asked, “Are you evangelical?” They shared with me that they like evangelicals because evangelicals like Israel. I explained to them that I am an evangelical, but I’m kind of a rare breed called a Calvinist, or a member of the “frozen chosen.” One of the men inquired as to what that means, so I told him that basically we’re really obsessed with the Sovereignty of God and His detailed planning of everything. After I had explained it, I turned the tables and asked the rabbis what they believe about such things. For instance, did God know we were going to meet and did He know I was going to sit in that exact place in the airport? If He preordained everything and has control over it all, did He make that happen? I went on for awhile longer and when I finally got done, the two men looked at me kind of like I was an idiot, and one guy said, “Who can know such things?” Let me tell you that for a person who was in the depths of Calvinism, hearing those words was very helpful for me!

Friend, there are some things in life that you spend a lot of time dwelling on, but that you really aren’t going to be able to know or understand — and that’s okay. It’s perfectly acceptable to allow certain things to be a mystery, and in fact, it’s often necessary to your faith. It’s alright to not understand the reason for your suffering and even to be angry at God in the midst of it. He really is big enough to handle your questions. Better yet, in the midst of your uncertainty, Jesus is always on your side. Because He is a loving Father, He hasn’t forgotten you and He has good things in store for your life! You can keep hope burning bright in present confusion because of the One who holds your future! Isn’t that wonderful news?