⏱️ Estimated Reading Time: 4 min read
When God’s Word Challenges You: Trusting God’s Ways Above Ours
Author: Dave Jenkins
Show: Contending for the Word Q&A
Date: April 26, 2026
Show Summary
In this episode of Contending for the Word Q&A, Dave Jenkins explains what it means to trust God when His Word challenges our assumptions, confronts our preferences, and stretches our understanding.
Drawing from Isaiah 55:8–11, this episode reminds listeners that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are higher than ours. Rather than avoiding difficult passages or reshaping Scripture to fit our expectations, Christians are called to trust the wisdom, goodness, and faithfulness of the God who speaks.
This episode encourages believers to receive the whole counsel of God with humility, knowing that His Word never deceives, never fails, and always accomplishes His good purposes in the lives of His people.
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Key Scriptures
- Isaiah 55:8–11
- 2 Timothy 3:16–17
- Hebrews 4:12
Episode Highlights
- Why some passages of Scripture comfort us immediately while others confront us deeply
- What Isaiah 55 teaches about the wisdom and transcendence of God
- Why believers must resist reshaping God’s Word to fit personal preferences
- How God’s Word works powerfully even when it challenges us
- Why trust in God’s character is essential when Scripture unsettles us
- How Christ anchors our confidence in the goodness and faithfulness of God
Full Article
There are moments when God’s Word comforts us immediately. There are also moments when it confronts us. Some passages resonate easily within our hearts, while others slow us down. They challenge our assumptions, stretch our understanding, or unsettle us because they do not fit neatly within how we expect God to act.
In Isaiah 55, the Lord reminds His people that His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are higher than ours. This is not a rebuke meant to distance us from God, but an invitation to trust Him more deeply as He is revealed in His Word. God is not asking us to understand everything before we obey. He is calling us to trust His wisdom, His character, and His purposes—especially when His Word challenges us.
Isaiah goes on to assure us that God’s Word does not return empty, but always accomplishes exactly what He intends. Even when we struggle to grasp it, God’s Word is at work. It shapes hearts, exposes pride, produces repentance, and strengthens faith. Trusting God when Scripture challenges us means submitting ourselves to His authority rather than reshaping His Word to fit our preferences.
That means resisting the temptation to skip difficult passages, soften their edges, or explain them away. It means believing that the God who speaks is good, wise, and faithful—even when His ways surpass our understanding.
Ultimately, this trust is grounded in Christ alone. Jesus is the full revelation of the character of God. In Him we see God’s holiness, mercy, justice, and love held together perfectly. When Scripture challenges us, we look to Christ and remember that God has already proven His faithfulness at the cross.
God’s Word may confront us, but it never deceives us. It may humble us, but it never abandons us. And it always accomplishes God’s good purposes in the lives of those who trust Him.
Takeaways and Reflection Questions
- How do you respond when Scripture challenges your assumptions?
- Are you tempted to avoid difficult passages rather than trust God through them?
- How does remembering God’s character help you submit to His Word?
Call to Action
If this episode encouraged you, please share it with others and consider subscribing to Contending for the Word Q&A or watching on our YouTube channel. Our aim is to help Christians grow in biblical discernment, theological clarity, and confidence in the truth of God’s Word.
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah, and lives in beautiful Southern Oregon. He is a writer, editor, and speaker who loves Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology.
Dave serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries and the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine. He is the Host and Producer of the Equipping You in Grace Podcast and a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word.
He is the author of The War of Worldviews: Truth, Lies, and the Battle for the Christian Mind (Theology for Life, 2026), Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021).
You can connect with Dave on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, or subscribe to his newsletter.
When he is not engaged in ministry work, Dave enjoys spending time with his wife, going to movies, sharing a meal at a favorite restaurant, or playing a round of golf with friends. He is also a voracious reader, particularly of Reformed theology and the Puritans, and is often found working through a stack of new books from a wide range of Christian publishers.
Dave earned his M.A.R. and M.Div. from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
