“Let me warn you about systematic theology.” My friend started telling me of her struggles in studying biblical doctrines for the first time. “It’s hard . . . it can make you doubt, because you learn that we don’t have the answers to everything about God. Sometimes we can’t know the answers, and we have to trust that God knows them, and that that’s enough.”
My friend’s words can apply to any area of life. There are some things we don’t and won’t ever have answers to. But we can have peace, trusting that it’s okay if we don’t know the answer, because God does.
In the book of Acts, Paul faced many situations where he didn’t have all the answers. As an advocate for Christ, his preaching often got him into trouble and put him in positions where he was under trial while authorities debated whether he did something deserving punishment. In chapter 24, Paul was charged by Ananias the high priest and the Jewish elders in Caesarea. Hoping for a bribe, Governor Felix kept Paul in custody for two years (Acts 24:26-27). But even after he was succeeded as governor, he left Paul in prison (Acts 24:25-27).
The trials Paul faced didn’t end there. In the final chapters of Acts (Acts 25:1–28:30), we see him continuing to make his case to the new governor, the king, and finally traveling to Rome to make his case before Caesar. Paul went years without knowing what would happen next. In fact, Acts concludes without the final details of Paul’s life. But while he was under guard, he didn’t waste any opportunity to tell those around him about Jesus (Acts 26:28, 27:22-26, 28:23).
We won’t ever have all the answers about our situation, but God does. We can trust Him and know He’s always working in and through us!