Wrestling While Embracing: Rising in Faith When Life Doesn’t Make Sense

Have you ever wrestled with God — asking “Why, Lord?” — when life feels uncertain, unfair, or simply too heavy? You’re not alone. In fact, that’s exactly what we see in the often-overlooked book of Habakkuk.

This short book in the Old Testament is a powerful reminder that it’s okay to question, wrestle, and wait in faith. It shows us what it means to lean into God even when we don’t have all the answers.

When Habakkuk Questioned God

The prophet Habakkuk lived during a time of widespread evil and injustice. He looked around at the suffering of his people and asked God, “Why are You allowing this? Why aren’t You doing something?”

Sound familiar?

We’ve all had those moments — after tragedy, loss, or confusion — when we wonder where God is in it all. I remember feeling this after events like 9/11 or personal hardships. The beautiful truth is: God never minds our questions. He welcomes them.

He would rather have us come to Him with our doubts and confusion than run away from Him in silence.

Wrestling While Embracing

Habakkuk shows us a different response than what we might expect. Instead of denying his faith or burying his questions, he chose to wrestle and embrace at the same time.

He leaned into God’s sovereignty — acknowledging, “This is hard, but I trust You above all things.”

As women, moms, and entrepreneurs, we often interpret hard seasons as signs that we’re off track. We think, “If this is difficult, maybe God doesn’t want this for me.” But difficulty doesn’t always mean disobedience. Sometimes, it’s divine development.

When we lean in instead of pulling away, we grow. We gain strength, skills, and spiritual depth that prepare us to lead, teach, and encourage others later on.

God Is Always at Work

God’s answer to Habakkuk was, “I’m already working. My ways are higher than your ways.”

Even when things don’t look like we hoped, God is still moving. He uses unexpected circumstances — and even unjust people — to refine us and realign us with His purpose.

What feels like disappointment might actually be divine preparation.

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From Questioning to Worship

One of my favorite parts of Habakkuk’s story is his transformation from questioning to worshiping.

In the Hebrew text, the word “shigionoth” (pronounced shay-en-oth) appears — a term meaning to express confidence through heartfelt worship and prayer during times of uncertainty.

Habakkuk didn’t stay stuck in confusion. He chose to worship.

That worship didn’t necessarily mean singing on a Sunday morning — it was a deep cry of trust, gratitude, and surrender. Worship can look like prayer, giving, serving, or simply waiting with faith.

Choosing to Pause and Remember

Another word that appears in Habakkuk is “Selah.”

It means to stop, pause, and remember who God is.

When life feels heavy, we can Selah — pause, reflect, and remember what God has already done. He has defeated death and darkness. He has proven His goodness over and over.

When we choose gratitude, we reframe our minds. As I often teach in my coaching work, what we focus on expands. When we focus on God’s goodness, we begin to draw more of it into our lives.

From Striving to Calmness

Worship and gratitude shift our state from striving to calmness.

Confusion turns into clarity. Exhaustion transforms into energy.

Even in chaos, we can experience peace. That’s the beauty of leaning in — it allows us to rise above the clutter, the noise, and the overwhelm.

A Word for the Weary Heart

If you’re reading this and it feels like one thing after another keeps falling apart — I see you. I’ve been there too.

Maybe you’re exhausted, hurting, or wondering when you’ll finally catch a break. Take heart. Just like Habakkuk, you may not have all the answers — but you have God Himself.

The answer to “why” is often “who.”

And that “who” is Jesus.

Reframe your focus from what’s missing to what’s still good.

If you have a roof over your head, a bed to sleep in, or a single friend who checks on you — that’s grace. Gratitude grows where faith is watered.

Rise in Faith and Overflow

So here’s my invitation to you:

What’s one area of your life where you’re asking God for clarity right now?

Whisper it to Him. Write it down. Or share it in the comments below and simply type “Rise.”

Together, we are choosing to rise in faith — from burnout to boldness, from striving to overflow, from questioning to worship.

Because when we keep Jesus at the center of our homes, our hearts, and our habits, we rise with peace and purpose.

Keep Wrestling While Embracing

Keep shigionothing — worshiping through uncertainty.

Keep selahing — pausing to remember God’s faithfulness.

And keep living aligned and anchored with Jesus at the center.

Want to Go Deeper?

If this message spoke to your heart, send me a DM on Instagram and share your biggest takeaway.

As a thank-you, I’ll send you a free 4-week Bible study: “How to Practically Align Your Mind, Body, and Home.”

Until next time, keep your faith strong, your systems simple, and your heart anchored in Jesus — because you were made to live with purpose.