Learning to Trust When It Goes Beyond My Understanding

Sometimes life takes a turn so sharp, so confusing, so unbelievable, that we feel completely disoriented. Plans fall apart. People let us down. We pray, and still the agony continues. In these moments, our faith is not challenged by logic. It’s challenged by what we can’t make any sense of. And that’s where trust and faith in God must grow deeper than our human understanding.

Proverbs 3:5–6 gives us the foundation:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
This Scripture call us to surrender… not just our actions, but our understanding. That’s hard when your world feels upside down, backwards, and inside out. It’s natural to want answers, reasons, and clarity. But God often doesn’t give explanations… He gives Himself.

In recovery, especially, this kind of trust becomes vital. We come from lives built on control, fear, and survival mechanisms. But now, we are invited to let go of our need to figure it all out and instead rest in God’s unchanging nature. He doesn’t ask us to understand the why, but to remember the Who.

Isaiah 55:8–9 speaks clearly to this, and is one of my favorite verses to soothe myself:
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
God sees the full picture. He knows the beginning from the end. What feels like delay to us may be His protection. Delays are not His denials. What feels like chaos may be the groundwork for His glory. He doesn’t promise ease… He promises His presence.

There’s also the danger of trying to “fix” life in our own strength. This could be an old habit from the days of addiction or codependency. Remember that God gently calls us to a better way: trusting Him with the outcome. Psalm 37:5 encourages us,
“Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.”
Let that sink in. He shall bring it to pass. Not us, not our plans, not our hustle… but Him.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that we stop feeling hit in the head. It does mean you stop feeling afraid…. “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of Power, and of Love, and of a Sound Mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) It means we choose to lean into God’s character more than our own understanding. It means we say, “God, I don’t get this, but I trust that You do.” And that’s where faith gets real.

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Reflect & Journal: Trusting When It Doesn’t Make Sense

In the beginning of recovery, trusting God can feel like walking blindfolded across a broken bridge… every step vulnerable, every breath unsure. Understand that it’s also the place where intimacy with God grows.

Use these questions to slow down and gently meditating on His Word:

Reflective Coaching Questions:

1. What situation(s) in my life right now feels confusing or unfair?
   • (Describe it honestly. Call out the emotions.)
2. Am I trying to “lean on my own understanding” in this situation? If so, how?
   • (Control? Worry? People-pleasing, something else?)
3. What would it look like for me to trust God fully with this?
   • (What do I feel if I submit and surrender to Jesus?)
4. Read Proverbs 3:5–6 again. What phrase stands out to me today? Why?
5. Can I remember a time when I didn’t understand, but God worked things out anyway?
   • (Write about it. Let it remind you of His faithfulness.)
6. What fears are making it hard for me to trust right now?
   • (Bring them to God one by one. Repeat 2 Timothy 1:7 to God – over and over again.)
7. What part of God’s character do I need to lean on today?
   • (His goodness? Wisdom? Power? Discernment? Faithfulness?)

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Have a blessed rest of your day. Remember that even when it makes no sense… trust anyway. Not because you see the outcome, but because you know the One who holds it. He is trustworthy… always and forever.