God knows that suffering raises doubts about his trustworthiness.
He is not surprised when we question his character, compassion, or competence during distress. Many Bible heroes voiced similar misgivings when they encountered affliction.
God has prescribed an antidote for doubt. He calls it faith.
God defines faith as believing in that which cannot be seen or clearly understood.
During distress God wants us to believe in him in all his fullness—i.e., that which we cannot see.
He also wants us to trust in the wisdom and logic of his grand plan—i.e., that which we do not clearly understand.
How do we justify faith in God when adversities raise doubts about his credibility?
First, we recognize that distress distorts our perception of God, much like the peephole in a door warps our view of the person standing on the other side.
Second, we realize the six truths implicit in God’s promise of aid—not our adverse circumstances—evidence his true nature.
God exists. He is present with us. He sees our plight. He cares for us. He has the resources to help us. He has obligated himself to help us.
We trust God amid affliction by choosing to believe what he has revealed about himself, through nature and in the Bible, rather than what we might infer about him from our distress.
Our inferences are conjecture. His revelations are truth.
