Throughout the Bible and history, believers have brought this question to God. They trusted Him, yet the waves of trouble were so strong that even faith seemed to strain for more hope.
In Daniel 3, three young Hebrew men—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—faced a blazing furnace heated seven times hotter than usual. They refused to bow to anyone but YHWH. Death was certain. They did not know what God would do; they only knew they must obey God rather than a powerful narcissistic king.
As they drew closer to the furnace, they could feel the rising heat. Fear was real. Yet they chose to believe in God’s hand on them more than in the threat before them. Their faith had to move into total surrender. God did not remove them from captivity; instead, He walked with them in the fire and used them as His witnesses in a foreign land. They survived, and even the king bowed to the true and living God. They did not know how God would change things—they simply knew that God would work it out in His own way. Centuries later, God would tell Paul the same truth: “My grace is sufficient for you.”
In Mark 10, a rich young man ran to Jesus asking, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” He was really asking, “How can I know You’ll secure my eternity?” He had no crisis of health or finances. His concern was his future with God.
By all appearances, he was honorable and obedient. But Jesus saw his heart. The man’s security rested in his wealth, not in God. He had “checked all the boxes,” yet God asked for more—total surrender. Jesus told him to sell all he had, give to the poor, and follow Him. The man walked away sad because God was asking for what he trusted most. He wanted assurance without release.
When we ask, “How can I know You’ll change this?” we must heed Mary’s words at Cana: “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5). God will not transform what we refuse to place in His hands.
So how can we know God will change what needs changing? We look to Scripture—and we look back over our own lives. We are not the same people who first came to Christ. We have evidence that He has never forsaken us and that His requirements, though costly, were for our good. Our lives testify that God brings us through every fire and gently exposes every idol, turning it into an opportunity for deeper life with Him.
God never leaves us as He found us. The rich young ruler could not see what he truly needed. We can, as we die to self daily and let God truly be our God. On that, we can stake our lives.
God bless you!
Pastor Janice Fareed-Hardy
