December 7, 2025
Daily Devotional:
“Trusting the Hidden Hand”
John 13:7
Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand."
This is Jesus' gentle, yet profound, response to Peter when Peter objects to Jesus washing his feet. Peter, looking at the scene, only saw a master performing a servant's task which was a reversal of roles that he found unacceptable andconfusing. But Jesus assures him that the full meaning, the deeper purpose, is not for Peter to grasp in that moment. He promised a future clarity, "afterward you will understand."
How often do we act like Peter? We look at confusing, painful, or frustrating circumstances in our lives. A delayed answer to prayer, an unexpected setback, a season of waiting and we try to apply our limited human logic to God’s sovereign plan. We question, we object, and we struggle because the immediatepicture doesn't make sense.
Jesus' words to Peter are his words to us today. There are actions God is taking in our lives behind the scenes, in the mundane, or in the catastrophic that we simply cannot comprehend in the present. They are pieces of a vast, divinemosaic that only the Master Artist can see in its entirety. Our peace comes not from understanding the why right now, but from trusting the Who. The one doing the work is the same Christ who loves us perfectly and gave his life for us. Today, recognize the areas of your life where you are demanding an explanation from God. Is it a challenging relationship? A job loss? A health struggle? The challenge is to surrender your need for immediate clarity and embrace the truth that God’s timing is perfect, and His perspective is complete. Trust that the "afterward" will reveal His wisdom and love. Every time the frustration returns, repeat the verse and consciously choose to place the situation in God's hands.