WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
SEPTEMBER 20, 2025
TOPIC: SIX THINGS YOU SHOULD DO WHEN YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE LORD IS DOING
BY T. O. BANSO
“Who among you fears the Lord and obeys his Servant? If such men walk in darkness, without one ray of light, let them trust the Lord, let them rely upon their God” (Isaiah 50:10 Living Bible).
We don’t always understand what the Lord is doing in our lives or in the lives of other people. Sometimes, we don’t have the faintest idea about what the Lord is doing. How can the Lord lead you to do something only for it to fail? It doesn’t make sense.
Let’s even assume that you missed His leading. But in Judges 20:18-28, He told the other tribes of Israel to go and fight the erring tribe of Benjamin. They went to battle but were defeated twice, losing 40,000 soldiers. He asked them to go the third time. They did and were victorious after the Benjamites had killed another 30 Israelite soldiers, thinking they could defeat them as before. The Bible doesn’t state the reason for the defeat of the other tribes of Israel twice, with heavy casualties, before their eventual victory
Isaiah 50:10 says, “Who among you fears the Lord and obeys his Servant? If such men walk in darkness, without one ray of light, let them trust the Lord, let them rely upon their God” (Living Bible). Ideally, if someone fears the Lord and obeys His Servant, he should enjoy the best, walk in the light, not in darkness. But that’s not always the reality. Neither is it usually the end.
Look at this: Zecharias, a Jewish priest, and Elizabeth, his wife, were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. Yet, they had no children. Elizabeth was unable to conceive. They were both very old (Luke 1:5-7). Should they have been barren, considering their good record? But the Lord later gave them a child, John the Baptist, the forerunner of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Children of God must not be discouraged or become envious of sinners. We must not make our own light; we must wait for His light. “But see here, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves from your own fires and not from God’s; you will live among sorrows” (Isaiah 50:11 Living Bible). The New King James Version says, “Look, all you who kindle a fire, who encircle yourselves with sparks: walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you have kindled—this you shall have from My hand: you shall lie down in torment.”
We may find ourselves in situations where we are experiencing some contradictions. The explanations some people offer may even complicate rather than simplify issues. Nevertheless, as children of God, we must continue our walk with Him. We may not understand what He is doing, but we should never doubt His love for us.
Doing the following six things will be very helpful at such a time:
1. Hold on to God’s promises. Don’t listen to the lies of the devil; don’t let him confuse you. Keep reminding yourself of God’s promises. According to Paul, all God’s promises are “Yes” in Him (2 Corinthians 1:20a).
In Jeremiah 20:7a, Jeremiah said, “You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived” (New International Version). The New King James Version says, “You induced me, and I was persuaded.” God doesn’t deceive or mislead anyone. Jeremiah felt like that because the message God gave him to deliver to the people had not been fulfilled, and it made him unpopular. The people were mocking him.
But Jeremiah knew more than what his feelings were telling him. In Jeremiah 20:11, he said, “But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten” (King James Version). Jeremiah’s emotional distress becomes obvious as he moves from praising God to cursing the day of his birth, the man who delivered the news to his father, and so forth, making him sound like Job! (Verses 14-18).
Hold on to God’s promises; don’t query Him. Put His promises in your mouth. The psalmist says, “I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust’” (Psalm 91:2 New King James Version).
2. Continue to encourage yourself in the Lord. Judges 20:22 says the defeated tribes of Israel encouraged themselves and assembled at the same place they had fought the previous day.
In 1 Samuel 30:6, David was greatly distressed because he and his men had suffered a heavy loss, and they wanted to stone him. But he strengthened himself in the LORD his God. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10).
3. Remain focused; don’t look for alternatives to God. Don’t lose your focus by concentrating on the undesirable turn of events or setbacks. Also, don’t pursue another course different from what God has asked you to do that appears not to be working. Don’t replace God with a god; wait for God. Don’t go down to Egypt for help (Isaiah 31:1). Don’t become weary; wait for the Lord (Psalm 130:5-6). The Lord never fails those who wait for Him.
4. Persist in doing what the Lord has asked you to do despite any previous failure. Failure is not final. Your failure is temporary if you don’t give up because you can succeed after you have failed.
In 1 Kings 18, after Elijah had gone to pray for abundant rain that he had prophesied, he kept telling his servant to go up to look toward the sea. He asked him to go again and again. It was the seventh time that the servant reported seeing, arising out of the sea, a cloud as small as a man’s hand, which delivered an abundance of rain (1 Kings 18:41-44). Elijah never gave up until he got the desired result.
If you persist in doing the will of God, no matter the initial setback, God’s will shall be done. Don’t be a quitter. “But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded” (2 Chronicles 15:7 New Living Translation). Similarly, Galatians 6:9 says, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (New Living Translation).
5. Be joyful, keep praying, and keep praising God. Paul and Silas were cast into prison for doing the will of God: preaching the gospel. But did they lament, blame God, and curse Him? No.
Acts 16:25 says, at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed, sang praises to God, and the prisoners heard them. God set them free later. No matter the situation, don’t let Satan steal your joy. “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy” (James 1:2 New Living Translation). 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (New Living Translation).
Going about looking sad won’t benefit you. Express your emotions, but don’t let them control you. Don’t let grief kill you; don’t allow sadness to shorten your years (Psalm 31:10). Keep praising God instead of being sad and complaining, “Lord, why me? Lord, why are you doing this to me?” Joyfully draw water from the wells of salvation (Isaiah 12:3). The joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10).
6. Follow any additional instructions the Lord may give you. Don’t try to protect your reputation by being afraid to act because of past failures. Philippians 2:7 says Jesus made Himself of no reputation – He made Himself nothing; He took the nature of a servant and became like a human being.
To obey is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22b). If you’re willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land (Isaiah 1:19).
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your heart to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself, and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your heart. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church. There, they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me, and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I invite Jesus into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Holy Spirit, help me to trust in the Lord and wait for Him even when I don’t understand what He is doing in my life. If I walk in darkness, without one ray of light, help me to trust in the Lord.
(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
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