Tony Elder, Author/Pastor

Recently I went to the local library to choose a book to read simply for my enjoyment. I have always appreciated mystery stories, so on this occasion I decided to check out one of the works of Agatha Christie. It did not disappoint. The solution to the whodunnit wasn’t so obvious that I had it all figured out early on. Neither was the ending some ridiculous scenario. The plot had some twists and turns that made it interesting, but not to the point that it didn’t make sense or fit together. I was also confident that the book wouldn’t contain much objectionable material such as I might find in some modern-day authors. It was a very satisfying read. My faith in this author of classic mysteries was justified.

While some of us may enjoy reading such stories, we tend to find less pleasure when having to deal with the real mysteries in our own lives or in the world around us. I am not referring to efforts to solve murders or other crimes. I am talking about facing occurrences in our lives that we have a hard time figuring out. Why did that happen? Or why did something else not happen when I was sure that it would be for the best? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why am I or that other person going through this trial? Why did that person die and the other person live? Life can be full of mysteries for which we wish we had answers. Sometimes the solutions reveal themselves over time. We look back and exclaim, “O, now I see why that happened!” Other times the mystery goes unsolved until the day we die.

The good news about such mysteries is not that we are going to solve them. The good news is that we can trust the Author. Our lives and the happenings in our world are not random acts based on luck, chance, or fate. Neither are we the authors of our own destiny. There is a divine hand at work. We play a part in it, and our choices can affect the story. However, God is the One in control of the pen, or in these days, the keyboard. So whatever happens, we know that there is a good, loving, just God who is ultimately working out the plot. Yes, we live in a fallen world in which much evil resides. Yes, we have an enemy of our soul to contend with. Yes, we can make poor choices that can do us harm. But God is the one who is connecting all these various characters and events together to fulfill His plan and purposes.

The key factor is our relationship with Him. If we are loving Him and trusting Him, we can be assured that our story is going to work out well in the end. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). All things work together for good. That includes the mysteries for which we have no answers. We may not see how anything positive can result from some of those experiences. However, the Author is weaving all these twists and turns into a story that will have a good ending, at least for those who love Him and are submitting to His call. Those who resist God’s call and insist on trying to write their own story have no such assurance. Their story could well end in tragedy.

So we may not understand all the mysteries we face in this life. We may not know who, what, or why about certain matters. However, we do know that we can trust the One who is writing our story. Let’s trust the Author.