What Does The Bible Say About Accepting What God Allows?
Life often brings difficulties and trials that can shake our faith. In painful times, Christians may wonder why God allows suffering. The Bible offers wisdom and encouragement to accept the circumstances God permits for reasons we cannot fully understand.
If you’re short on time, the key Bible verses about accepting what God allows are: Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28; 1 Peter 4:19; Hebrews 12:7-11.
This article will examine several key Bible passages about accepting difficulties and God’s purpose in allowing them. We’ll also consider how to respond in faith when facing trials.
God Has Good Plans Despite Current Troubles
Jeremiah 29:11 – God’s Plans to Prosper, Not Harm
Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most well-known and encouraging verses in the Bible. It says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'”
This verse comes from a letter that the prophet Jeremiah wrote to the Jewish exiles who had been taken captive to Babylon. At the time, the situation looked incredibly bleak. The people of Judah were suffering, displaced from their homes and living under Babylonian rule.
Yet even in the midst of this difficult circumstance, God had not abandoned His people. Through Jeremiah, He promised that His plans for them were good – to give them “a future and a hope.” God’s heart toward His children is always oriented toward their blessing, growth and flourishing.
Explanation of Jeremiah 29:11
There are a few key truths we can take away from Jeremiah 29:11:
- God has a purposeful plan for each of our lives. He cares about the details and wants the best for us. His plans are not random or haphazard.
- God’s plans prioritize our well-being and growth. He promises to prosper us, not harm us. His intentions toward us are always loving.
- God’s plans provide us with hope. No matter what difficult season we may be walking through, we can cling to the hope and future He promises.
- God’s timing and ways are not always our own. The exiles had to wait 70 years! Yet God still had not forgotten them and was working out His purposes.
The profound truth of Jeremiah 29:11 is that even when life feels uncertain and chaotic, God is in control. He sees the full picture. He knows the plans He has for us – plans to prosper us, give us hope, and bring us into a flourishing future with Him.
This truth anchors us in hope amidst life’s storms. God is good, He loves us, and we can trust His plans for our lives.
God Works All Things for Good
Romans 8:28 – God Works for Good in All Things
Romans 8:28 is one of the most well-known verses in the Bible. The apostle Paul writes, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
This verse promises that even when bad things happen, God can use those circumstances for our good and his glory.
Some key points about Romans 8:28:
- It only applies to followers of Christ who love God and seek to live according to his will. God works all the details of their lives toward something good.
- The “good” referred to is becoming more like Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). Difficulties can develop our character to be more Christlike.
- “All things” means everything that happens to us – good or bad. God is sovereign over every circumstance.
- This verse does not mean all things feel good or seem good at the time. But God can powerfully work despite evil to accomplish his purposes.
Explanation of Romans 8:28
Romans 8:28 gives an incredible promise that God takes all of life’s joys, pains, and puzzles, using them for the good of those who love him. But what does this mean?
First, this does not mean all things will seem good or feel good. Followers of Christ face persecution (John 15:20), sorrow (John 16:20), sickness, and death like everyone else. GotQuestions.org notes Romans 8:28 is a promise about God’s abundant power at work, not that believers will be spared from struggles.Second, this verse applies only to those in Christ – those who have repented of sin and trusted in Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on their behalf. Unbelievers experience accidents, disasters, disease, and death just like Christians.
But only believers have the assurance that God will redeem those situations for our growth in godly character.
Third, the “good” God works toward is our transformation into Christ’s image (Romans 8:29). As a loving Father, God uses joyful and painful events to shape us. Difficulties that drive us closer to Jesus and increase our Christlike love are truly for our benefit and God’s glory.
No matter what happens, followers of Jesus can trust God to powerfully work all things – the good, bad and confusing – for our growth to be more like our Savior. That is the certain hope of Romans 8:28.
Entrust Hardships to a Faithful Creator
1 Peter 4:19 – Commend Your Soul to God
1 Peter 4:19 says, “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” This verse encourages believers to entrust themselves to God even in the midst of suffering.
Peter writes to Christians who are experiencing various trials and persecutions (1 Peter 1:6-7). He exhorts them to continue trusting in God, who is faithful, and to persist in doing what is right.
Explanation of 1 Peter 4:19
This verse reveals three important principles for believers undergoing difficulties:
- We should accept hardship as God’s will. Though painful, trials have a purpose in perfecting our faith (1 Peter 1:7). We can submit to difficulties, knowing God allows them for our good.
- We should entrust ourselves to God’s care. The word “commit” means to deposit something for safekeeping. Despite appearances, we can confidently give our souls to God, trusting in His faithfulness.
- We should continue to serve God. Doing “good” refers to persevering in righteous living. Hardships should not hinder us from honoring Christ through upright conduct.
In hardship, believers can find comfort in God’s sovereignty, reliance on His steadfast promises, and motivation to live uprightly. This brings glory to God and serves as a witness to others (1 Peter 2:12).
Entrusting our souls to our faithful Creator allows Him to refine and strengthen our faith in the furnace of trials.
As Charles Spurgeon said, “It is the mark of a true saint that his sorrows remind him of his God, and his sorrows lead him to his God.” In our pain, we can turn to the One who bore agony for us on the cross. His wounds bring our healing. His faithfulness secures our hope.
Commending ourselves to His care allows God’s purposes to be accomplished in our lives.
God Disciplines Those He Loves
Hebrews 12:7-11 – Do Not Lose Heart in Discipline
In Hebrews 12:7-11, the author encourages believers to endure hardship as discipline from God. He states that God disciplines those He loves, just as a father disciplines his children. The purpose of this loving discipline is to produce righteousness and holiness in us.
Though discipline is often painful in the moment, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace for those trained by it (v.11). So we should not lose heart or become discouraged when experiencing trials, but recognize them as God shaping us into the image of Christ.
We can take comfort knowing that God only allows difficulties for our good – to transform us into His likeness.
Explanation of Hebrews 12:7-11
Here is an explanation of the key points in Hebrews 12:7-11:
Responding in Faith to What God Allows
Life often brings difficulties and trials that can shake our faith. Financial strains, health issues, strained relationships, loss of loved ones – these experiences can leave us questioning God’s goodness and wondering if He really cares.
Yet the Bible encourages us to respond in faith even in the midst of suffering. Here are some principles for navigating difficult seasons well:
Acknowledge that God is still sovereign
God allows trials, but He does not abandon us in them. We can trust His perfect plan even when we don’t understand it (Isaiah 55:8-9). Recognizing God’s sovereignty helps us avoid anger or bitterness toward Him.
Seek God’s purpose in the trial
God can use suffering to strengthen our faith and refine our character (James 1:2-4; Romans 5:3-5). Lean into Him through prayer and Bible study. Ask Him to reveal areas where you need to grow. Be willing to learn the lessons He has for you.
Remain in fellowship with other believers
Don’t isolate yourself when you’re hurting. God often ministers through His people (Galatians 6:2). Let Christian friends help carry your burdens through their love, prayers, and encouragement.
Give thanks in all circumstances
Thanking God even in trials demonstrates trust in His goodness (1 Thessalonians 5:18). It keeps our perspective heavenly rather than earthly (Colossians 3:2). Gratitude helps us see God’s blessings amidst the difficulties.
Entrust your cares to God
Rather than anxiously obsessing over your trial, release it to the Lord in prayer (Philippians 4:6-7). Consider writing down your cares and symbolically giving them to God. Let go of the need to control outcomes, and trust Him fully.
Hope in God’s promises
God promises to be with us in trials, use them for our good, and deliver us in His perfect timing (Psalm 23:4, Romans 8:28, Psalm 34:17-19). Meditating on His Word renews our hope and perspective.
Responding in faith to difficulties isn’t easy, but God uses our trials to draw us closer to Himself. We can rest in the truth that He will carry us through and transform us in the process.
Conclusion
God allows trials and difficulties according to His perfect wisdom and love. Even when we cannot understand His purposes, we can trust the promises in Scripture that He plans good for us, works all things for good, and disciplines us because we are His beloved children.
In faith, we can accept what God permits, knowing He will sustain us by His grace and use our struggles for our eternal blessing.
