Can I Trust That God Is Right When I Don’t Understand?

 Can I Trust That God Is Right When I Don’t Understand?

GOOD MORNING WITH GOD | Psalm 119, Eight Verses at a Time #18
TSADHE צ | Psalm 119:137–144

There are moments when I understand what God is doing.

And there are moments when I do not.

Sometimes a situation feels fair.

Sometimes it does not.

Sometimes an answer to prayer makes sense to me.

Sometimes silence does not.

Sometimes I can look back and see exactly how God was leading.

Other times, I am left with questions.

That is why Psalm 119:137 feels so important:

“You are righteous, LORD,
and your laws are right.”

The psalmist begins with who God is.

Not with what he understands.

God Is Right Before I Understand Why

I often want understanding before trust.

I want to know why something happened.

Why the timing was different from what I hoped.

Why a door stayed closed.

Why a difficult season lasted so long.

Why something unfair was allowed to continue.

But the psalmist starts somewhere else:

You are righteous.

That is not the same as saying:

“I understand everything You are doing.”

It is saying:

“Even where my understanding ends, Your character does not change.”

That is a difficult kind of trust.

But perhaps it is also a deeper one.

“The Statutes You Have Laid Down Are Righteous”

Verse 138 says:

“The statutes you have laid down are righteous;
they are fully trustworthy.”

The psalmist connects God’s character with God’s Word.

Because God is righteous, His Word is trustworthy.

That matters.

If I believe God is good only when His Word agrees with what I already want, then I am not really letting Scripture correct me.

I am simply using Scripture to confirm myself.

But if God is righteous, then His Word may sometimes challenge me.

It may confront my assumptions.

It may expose where I have made peace with something that is not good.

It may ask me to forgive when I would rather stay angry.

To wait when I would rather force an outcome.

To tell the truth when a half-truth would be easier.

To trust when I would rather control.

Zeal Can Become Painful

Verse 139 says:

“My zeal wears me out,
for my enemies ignore your words.”

There is intensity here.

The psalmist cares deeply about God’s Word.

So deeply that other people’s disregard for it grieves him.

I can understand that feeling.

When I see something I believe is wrong, I can feel frustrated.

Sometimes angry.

Sometimes restless.

But this verse also makes me ask:

What does my zeal produce in me?

Does it make me harsher?

More self-righteous?

More eager to condemn?

Or does it deepen my love for what is true and good?

Zeal without humility can become dangerous.

So I need to hold conviction and humility together.

Tested and Proven

Verse 140 says:

“Your promises have been thoroughly tested,
and your servant loves them.”

I love this phrase:

thoroughly tested.

The psalmist’s trust is not naïve.

God’s Word has been lived with.

Waited on.

Held onto.

Tested through hardship.

And still found trustworthy.

That gives the verse weight.

Some truths become precious only after we have carried them through difficult seasons.

A promise may feel simple when life is easy.

It becomes different when we have needed it in the dark.

Small and Despised, Yet Not Forgotten

Verse 141 says:

“Though I am lowly and despised,
I do not forget your precepts.”

This verse feels quietly powerful.

The psalmist’s value in the eyes of others does not determine his loyalty to God.

He may feel overlooked.

Dismissed.

Small.

But he remembers.

That makes me think about how easily approval can shape my choices.

If people admire me, I feel confident.

If they dismiss me, I can begin to question myself.

But the psalmist keeps returning to God’s Word.

His identity is not being rebuilt every time someone’s opinion changes.

Righteousness That Lasts

Verse 142 says:

“Your righteousness is everlasting
and your law is true.”

Everlasting.

True.

Those words feel especially strong in a world where so much changes.

Opinions shift.

Values shift.

Standards shift.

But the psalmist believes there is something deeper than cultural movement.

God’s righteousness does not expire.

His truth does not become outdated because the world changes around it.

That does not remove the need for wisdom, context, humility, and careful interpretation.

But it does mean I do not have to treat truth as something completely unstable.

Trouble and Distress Are Still There

Verse 143 says:

“Trouble and distress have come upon me,
but your commands give me delight.”

Again, the psalmist’s circumstances are not easy.

This is important.

His confidence in God’s righteousness is not coming from a comfortable life.

It is coming in the middle of trouble.

That makes the final verse even more meaningful:

“Your statutes are always righteous;
give me understanding that I may live.”
— Psalm 119:144

He still asks for understanding.

So trust does not mean shutting down questions.

He believes God is right.

And still says:

Help me understand.

I love that combination.

Trust and Questions Can Exist Together

Sometimes I think faith means I should stop asking questions.

But this passage shows something else.

I can say:

“God, You are righteous.”

And also:

“Give me understanding.”

I can trust God’s character while admitting that I do not yet understand the situation.

I can believe His Word is true while asking Him to help me see how to live it wisely.

Maybe mature faith is not the absence of questions.

Maybe it is learning where to place those questions.

A Question to Carry With Me

When I do not understand what God is doing, do I assume He is wrong—or can I keep asking for understanding while trusting His character?

One Small Practice

Think of one area where you feel confused about God’s timing, guidance, or ways.

Write two sentences:

“Lord, I do not understand this.”

And then:

“But I want to keep trusting that You are righteous and Your Word is true.”

Hold both together.

A Small Prayer

Lord,

there are things I understand and things I do not.

When I cannot make sense of what You are doing, keep me from building my faith only on what I can explain.

You are righteous.

Your Word is true.

Give me understanding where I need understanding.

Give me humility where I am too certain.

Give me patience where I want immediate answers.

And when trouble and distress come, let Your truth remain steady in me.

Help me trust Your character without pretending I have no questions.

Teach me to bring those questions to You and keep walking in Your Word.

Amen.

Next — QOPH ק | Psalm 119:145–152
What does it mean to cry out to God with my whole heart?

Editorial Note
This post reflects my personal Bible study and faith journey as I slowly read Psalm 119, eight verses at a time. I use AI as a creative tool to help organize my thoughts, refine my English, and assist with some illustrations. It is not a substitute for Scripture or pastoral or theological guidance. I encourage readers to return to the biblical text itself, read the passage in context, and reflect carefully for themselves.