Is Your Theology Able To Handle The Unexpected?

Is Your Theology Able To Handle The Unexpected?

Posted on by Michele Morin

In ways that are both mundane and catastrophic, life has a way of going off the rails. Everything from rain showers overlooked by the weather forecast to devastating diagnoses, all serve to remind us that we’re not in control of our lives—at least not as much as we might wish.

Whenever the unexpected happens, we’re thrown against the framework of our theology.
Will it hold?
Does what I believe about the sovereignty and the goodness of God accommodate a veering turn that was not anywhere on my road map?

It helps me to remember that in the past, I have sometimes found the disruption of my plans to be a salutary thing—not a sign from heaven that I have disobeyed or ignored God’s direction, but, rather, an assurance that there is a serene Providence1 at work behind the scenes, that God has said words of promise over me:  “I have other plans for you, plans which will open a way for you to learn to know Me, which is far better than what you had planned.”

I have sometimes found the disruption of my plans to be a salutary thing—not a sign from heaven that I have disobeyed or ignored God’s direction, but, rather, an assurance that there is a serene Providence at work behind the scenes.

Famine in the House of Bread

Naomi would agree, I think. Senior heroine from the book of Ruth, she first encountered the unexpected when Bethlehem, “The House of Bread,” was stripped by famine and left without a crumb. The journey to Moab with Elimelech and their two young sons would have been a desperate act, and it was followed by a decade of every imaginable kind of loss as, one by one, her men, her protectors, died.

Even the comforting presence of devoted daughter-in-law Ruth could not dilute life’s acrid brew that transformed Naomi the Pleasant into Mara the Bitter (Ruth 1:20, 21). Naomi’s jarring change of direction leaves me breathless. How does a woman ever absorb the loss of a husband and two sons?

One thing she discovered (and that I am learning) is that God alone is equipped to recognize a detour while it is happening. It is only from the vantage point of the rear view mirror that we mortals can verify the truth that, all along, God had in mind our best interest and the furthering of His Kingdom.

With the sadness of mourning still roaring in her ears, Naomi could never have imagined that her slow trek back to Bethlehem would be a journey toward life and joy—and grandchildren! She could not have discerned that her time in Moab—temporary after all—would reap a bearer of strong genes for the making of the Messianic Line:  King David’s great-grandmother, Ruth, the gleaner of barley who gathered grace as well.

From Anxiety to Prayer

In the interim, therefore, we wait; and we pray for grace to trust God’s motives, especially when we’re feeling the murkiness of the fog of unknowing. This waiting is something I’ve never been good at, and yet I can attest to the deep groove that is formed in the soul by waiting and praying. Paul Miller in The Praying Life advises:

“Instead of trying to suppress anxiety – to manage it or smother it with pleasure – we can turn our anxiety toward God. When we do that, we find that we have slipped into continuous praying.”

How delightful to think that if I can adjust the angle of all my concerns at this turn in the road, if I can move the trajectory away from worry and toward petition, I will “slip into” prayer.

What a mercy.

Summer in Maine is road construction season. “Expect delays,” say all the road signs. While any detour I’ve experienced so far is only the palest adumbration of Naomi’s jarring ride, I am blessed by her words to Ruth:

“Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out.” (Ruth 3:18)
Expect delays.

And, one more Note to my Soul:

While you’re waiting, let the memory of past deliverances teach you to hope against all hope in today’s uncertainty, knowing that with every unexpected bend in the road you are veering into the loving and wise sovereignty of God.

Holding You in the Light,

  1. *The phrase “serene Providence” is borrowed from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s oration on the death of Lincoln. ↩︎

Whenever you’re waiting, let the memory of past deliverances teach you to hope against all hope in today’s uncertainty, knowing that with every unexpected bend in the road you are veering into the loving and wise sovereignty of God.

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Published by Michele Morin

Michele Morin is a Bible teacher, writer, reader, and gardener committed to the truth that women can become confident Christ-followers and students of God's Word. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty-plus years, and together they have four married sons and a growing fleet of adorable grandchildren. Michele loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family. She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.” She blogs at Living Our Days, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

20 thoughts on “Is Your Theology Able To Handle The Unexpected?”

  1. Michele,

    This is excellent. Having just taken a road trip through Maine, as well as the 70-year record breaking heat wave—we understand your metaphor more than ever. I think your point of looking back at past detours and seeing how God was leading in marvelous, yet unseen ways, comes with age. It takes years to see the pattern of God’s faithfulness. It is imperative that we form relationships with those younger than us to give them hope through what we have learned.
    I’m grateful for you and your ministry to us.

    Like

    1. Age does bring the gift of perspective, for sure! And that’s a gift we can, indeed, share with our adult kids and the friends we encounter. I think it’s an excellent argument for people of all ages to be embedded in a healthy church family!

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Naomi’s story is an excellent example of God continuing to work things out for good despite every appearance that things are going horribly wrong. I can’t imagine the grief and despair that Naomi felt as she headed back toward Bethlehem in disgrace and yet God had blessings in store for her and for the faithful Ruth. Thanks for sharing this today. So encouraging

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    1. My husband and I are teaching a Bible survey class at our church, and we just covered the book of Ruth. Flying through the entire book in one 45 minute class really brought it in close for me, and I loved reprocessing the story in this post. Thanks for your encouraging response!

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  3. Grabbing hold of the truth that He sees us, that He has the saving plan- that we just need to walk and trust Him! His movings and miracles arrive right on time – His time. What we see as a delay is on His schedule for us. Oh, Michele, I feel like God’s talking to you and I on a party line! Learning to wait relaxed, with hope and joy, along with you!

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  4. It often seems easier to trust God’s providence in the big things. But in little everyday snafus, especially when it involves something that someone else has done wrong–that’s harder for me. Yet circumstances and other people’s wrongs can’t “mess up” God’s plans. He has taken them into account.

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  5. Oh I will keep these words of Naomi in mind as I travel through detour after detour this summer! I find myself turning to God more often in times of surprise. It’s when things are going smoothly that I tend to turn away.

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  6. Naomi and Ruth had quite a journey. I’m impressed at how Ruth knew when to heed her counsel and when not to. Grief can certainly distort our perspective.

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  7. This is such a great story in the Bible. She was determined to think the worst of her situation and wanted to be called bitter. God is so gracious and good to us, even when we do this. I am so grateful. Thank you for a wonderful blog.

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  8. It’s definitely a challenge Michele when suffering & losses are so great to choose life over bitterness (because bitterness does bring death to the soul).

    I remember three challenging & turning points in my life; just after the death of my daughter, Candy, then a year later with the death of my son, Benjamin, & as my late husband was dying of Brain cancer.

    At these times, I had no understanding as to why God would allow such pain & loss in my life. But I knew my choice was to continue to look to Him for His strength, to wait & allow His wisdom to be revealed.

    When Chronic health conditions came to reside in 2005, the choice came easy I turned my face to Him for I knew that His strength would be my joy & His joy my strength for I had experienced it throughout those times of great loss & 20 years on it continues to be…for He is faithful.

    And I’ve learnt that there is great wisdom in Naomi’s words;
    “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out…” (Ruth 3:18)
    Blessings, Jennifer

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  9. I am late in commenting, but this post resonated and stuck with me since I first read it. My theological framework (which emphasizes both God’s sovereignty and goodness) was a lifesaver for me when I was in the hospital earlier this year. The anchor holds, as the song says. And I’m so thankful.

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