Surprise Solutions

Heavenly Father knows what is best for each of us, as the prophet Isaiah taught: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts”” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

His ways are not our ways—and that’s a good thing! There are instances where we would wish for the Lord to simply intervene and remedy the struggle and hardness we face. We may feel like stopping, leaving, escaping, or maybe even giving up.

Sometimes we wish the Lord would tell us exactly how He’s going to help us—or when! It takes a lot of faith to simply trust Him when we can’t see where He’s taking us. But that’s what we have to do. Remembering that because His thoughts and His ways are so much more advanced than ours, the solutions to our problems might be something we would never, ever think of on our own.

In the footnotes, of Elder Carl Cook's talk, it says "Although [Zoram] had to endure a little rough handling, the trap he was caught in was the very situation through which God had determined to bless him. Though he had to give up his homeland, God was preparing a better one." (David B Paxman, BYU Devotional, July 27, 2010) [2 Nephi 1:30-32]

Zoram had no idea the blessing that his trial would bring into his life. I have learned that I can be  receiving answers and direction and guidance from the Lord through the Holy Ghost and have absolutely no idea that I am being guided... until the outcome is manifested and suddenly as I look back over the events that transpired and the ideas that flowed, I can see the many things that the Lord guided me to do that contributed to bringing about a greater miracle and blessing than I had ever anticipated!

This talk is such a good reminder that it is a blessing to Just Keep Going - With Faith, to not "let discouragement overwhelm us when we face disappointment, painful experiences, our own inadequacies, or other challenges." God guides us steadily through these things and brings us out into a brighter light than we ever thought possible-  we just have to hang on to Him and persevere.