God's Masterplan
Getting in the Wheelbarrow: Living by Faith When the World Feels Out of Control
In 1859, thousands gathered along the banks of Niagara Falls to witness something extraordinary. Charles Blondin, a French tightrope walker, had stretched a rope across the massive, roaring waterfall. The crowd watched in amazement as he walked across—one careful step after another. Death awaited any misstep.
But Blondin wasn't finished. He blindfolded himself and crossed again. The crowd roared with approval. Still not satisfied, he grabbed a wheelbarrow and pushed it across the tightrope. When he reached the other side, he turned to the cheering masses and asked a simple question: "Do you believe I could carry someone across?"
"Yes!" they shouted in unison.
"Then who will get in the wheelbarrow?"
Silence.
Everyone believed he could do it. No one was willing to trust him with their life.
This story perfectly captures the tension many of us experience in our faith journey. Belief is loud when it's theoretical. But true faith gets in the wheelbarrow.
The Ancient Prophet's Modern Question
Around 600 years before Christ, a prophet named Habakkuk wrestled with questions that still haunt us today: Why does evil seem to prosper? Why does God appear silent when injustice runs rampant? How can we trust in God's goodness when the world feels like it's falling apart?
Habakkuk lived in a time of chaos. Violence, corruption, and oppression surrounded him. The nation he loved was crumbling from within. And God's answer to his complaint? He would use the even more brutal Babylonian empire to bring judgment.
It didn't make sense. How could a righteous God use wicked people to accomplish His purposes?
Yet in the midst of his confusion, Habakkuk did something remarkable. He positioned himself to hear from God. In Habakkuk 2:1, he writes: "I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts. I will look to see what he has to say to me."
In ancient fortresses, soldiers would climb to the top of thick, fortified walls—the ramparts—to gain a better vantage point. From this elevated position, they could see approaching travelers, friends, or enemies more clearly.
Habakkuk chose to rise above his circumstances. He refused to stay low to the ground, where his immediate reality dictated what he believed and felt. Instead, he positioned himself to receive from God.
The Posture of Receiving
How many of us choose to remain low to the ground, allowing our circumstances to control our faith? We scroll through news feeds filled with tragedy. We watch relationships crumble.
We face diagnoses that terrify us. We see injustice that enrages us. And slowly, we allow these realities to shape our theology rather than allowing God's truth to shape how we view our reality.
The question isn't whether we have questions or complaints. Habakkuk certainly did. The question is: What are we doing with those questions?
Are we coming to God with a closed fist—minds already made up, simply venting our frustrations? Or are we coming with an open hand—positioned to receive, willing to learn, ready to trust even when we don't understand?
God's response to Habakkuk is profound: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time. It speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it. It will certainly come and will not delay" (Habakkuk 2:2-3).
Then comes the verse that would echo through scripture and shape Christian theology for millennia: "The righteous person will live by his faithfulness" (Habakkuk 2:4).
Living by Faith, Not by Sight
The Apostle Paul would later quote this verse in Romans 1:17, grounding the doctrine of justification by faith in this ancient promise. Our salvation, our daily walk, our hope for tomorrow—all of it rests not on our ability to understand or control, but on our willingness to trust.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
This faith isn't blind optimism or wishful thinking. It's grounded in evidence—in the character of God revealed throughout history, in the transformative work of Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Spirit's power active in our lives today.
God went on to show Habakkuk five "woes"—five areas of oppression that characterized Babylon and that continue to characterize fallen systems today: economic injustice, slave labor, alcohol abuse by leaders, and blatant idolatry. These aren't ancient problems. They're repackaged in modern forms all around us.
But here's the critical truth: God's master plan has only one outcome. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He exists outside of time, wrapping around it, not limited by what He created. He's already at the ending, even while He's still at the beginning.
As Psalm 2 reminds us, when the nations rage and plot against God, "The one enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them" (Psalm 2:4). If God is laughing, why are we so worried?
The Woman Who Would Not Die
In 2014, Miriam Ibrahim, an eight-month pregnant Christian woman in Sudan, was arrested and charged with apostasy—leaving Islam. Her father had been Muslim, and despite being raised Christian by her mother, the court gave her an ultimatum: renounce Christianity and convert to Islam, or be executed.
Miriam's response was calm and clear: "I am a Christian and I will remain a Christian."
She was sentenced to death by hanging. While imprisoned, she gave birth to her daughter with her legs chained. Her young son was kept in prison with her as she awaited execution.
She couldn't see the end result. She didn't know if international pressure would save her. She had every reason to be terrified. Yet she later said, "I knew that God was with me. I was not afraid."
After months of pressure, the Sudanese government overturned her sentence. She was freed and moved safely with her family. Her story became a book titled "The Girl Who Would Not Die."
Miriam got in the wheelbarrow.
Moving When God Moves
When Charles Blondin's manager finally agreed to be carried across Niagara Falls on his back, Blondin gave him one critical instruction: "Do not lean your own way. Move when I move. Trust me completely."
That's what God asks of us. Not blind passivity, but active trust. Not reckless abandonment of wisdom, but willing surrender of control.
Many of us are white-knuckling areas of our lives—relationships we can't fix, situations we can't control, outcomes we can't guarantee. We're stressed about the condition of the world, anxious about tomorrow, worried about things far beyond our capacity to change.
But what if we climbed to the ramparts? What if we positioned ourselves to hear from God rather than remaining consumed by our circumstances? What if we came with open hands instead of closed fists?
When we don't understand, we worship. Through worship, we surrender. We let go of the illusion that we were ever in control in the first place.
God cannot heal what we won't submit to Him. We cannot experience victory in areas of our hearts we refuse to give to God.
The Ending Is Secure
Here's the truth that sustains us: God's master plan for the world is not ours to manage. That's not our burden to carry. What we need to focus on is God's master plan for our lives—and that plan calls us to wait, to walk by faith, and to trust that God never breaks His promises.
Justice is coming. God is still on the throne. And one day, every knee will bow and every tongue will acknowledge Him (Romans 14:11). Peace will reign. Wrongs will be made right.
Tears will be wiped away.
Until then, we live by faith—not because of what we don't see, but because of what we do see in Jesus Christ.
Will you get in the wheelbarrow?
In 1859, thousands gathered along the banks of Niagara Falls to witness something extraordinary. Charles Blondin, a French tightrope walker, had stretched a rope across the massive, roaring waterfall. The crowd watched in amazement as he walked across—one careful step after another. Death awaited any misstep.
But Blondin wasn't finished. He blindfolded himself and crossed again. The crowd roared with approval. Still not satisfied, he grabbed a wheelbarrow and pushed it across the tightrope. When he reached the other side, he turned to the cheering masses and asked a simple question: "Do you believe I could carry someone across?"
"Yes!" they shouted in unison.
"Then who will get in the wheelbarrow?"
Silence.
Everyone believed he could do it. No one was willing to trust him with their life.
This story perfectly captures the tension many of us experience in our faith journey. Belief is loud when it's theoretical. But true faith gets in the wheelbarrow.
The Ancient Prophet's Modern Question
Around 600 years before Christ, a prophet named Habakkuk wrestled with questions that still haunt us today: Why does evil seem to prosper? Why does God appear silent when injustice runs rampant? How can we trust in God's goodness when the world feels like it's falling apart?
Habakkuk lived in a time of chaos. Violence, corruption, and oppression surrounded him. The nation he loved was crumbling from within. And God's answer to his complaint? He would use the even more brutal Babylonian empire to bring judgment.
It didn't make sense. How could a righteous God use wicked people to accomplish His purposes?
Yet in the midst of his confusion, Habakkuk did something remarkable. He positioned himself to hear from God. In Habakkuk 2:1, he writes: "I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts. I will look to see what he has to say to me."
In ancient fortresses, soldiers would climb to the top of thick, fortified walls—the ramparts—to gain a better vantage point. From this elevated position, they could see approaching travelers, friends, or enemies more clearly.
Habakkuk chose to rise above his circumstances. He refused to stay low to the ground, where his immediate reality dictated what he believed and felt. Instead, he positioned himself to receive from God.
The Posture of Receiving
How many of us choose to remain low to the ground, allowing our circumstances to control our faith? We scroll through news feeds filled with tragedy. We watch relationships crumble.
We face diagnoses that terrify us. We see injustice that enrages us. And slowly, we allow these realities to shape our theology rather than allowing God's truth to shape how we view our reality.
The question isn't whether we have questions or complaints. Habakkuk certainly did. The question is: What are we doing with those questions?
Are we coming to God with a closed fist—minds already made up, simply venting our frustrations? Or are we coming with an open hand—positioned to receive, willing to learn, ready to trust even when we don't understand?
God's response to Habakkuk is profound: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time. It speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it. It will certainly come and will not delay" (Habakkuk 2:2-3).
Then comes the verse that would echo through scripture and shape Christian theology for millennia: "The righteous person will live by his faithfulness" (Habakkuk 2:4).
Living by Faith, Not by Sight
The Apostle Paul would later quote this verse in Romans 1:17, grounding the doctrine of justification by faith in this ancient promise. Our salvation, our daily walk, our hope for tomorrow—all of it rests not on our ability to understand or control, but on our willingness to trust.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
This faith isn't blind optimism or wishful thinking. It's grounded in evidence—in the character of God revealed throughout history, in the transformative work of Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Spirit's power active in our lives today.
God went on to show Habakkuk five "woes"—five areas of oppression that characterized Babylon and that continue to characterize fallen systems today: economic injustice, slave labor, alcohol abuse by leaders, and blatant idolatry. These aren't ancient problems. They're repackaged in modern forms all around us.
But here's the critical truth: God's master plan has only one outcome. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He exists outside of time, wrapping around it, not limited by what He created. He's already at the ending, even while He's still at the beginning.
As Psalm 2 reminds us, when the nations rage and plot against God, "The one enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them" (Psalm 2:4). If God is laughing, why are we so worried?
The Woman Who Would Not Die
In 2014, Miriam Ibrahim, an eight-month pregnant Christian woman in Sudan, was arrested and charged with apostasy—leaving Islam. Her father had been Muslim, and despite being raised Christian by her mother, the court gave her an ultimatum: renounce Christianity and convert to Islam, or be executed.
Miriam's response was calm and clear: "I am a Christian and I will remain a Christian."
She was sentenced to death by hanging. While imprisoned, she gave birth to her daughter with her legs chained. Her young son was kept in prison with her as she awaited execution.
She couldn't see the end result. She didn't know if international pressure would save her. She had every reason to be terrified. Yet she later said, "I knew that God was with me. I was not afraid."
After months of pressure, the Sudanese government overturned her sentence. She was freed and moved safely with her family. Her story became a book titled "The Girl Who Would Not Die."
Miriam got in the wheelbarrow.
Moving When God Moves
When Charles Blondin's manager finally agreed to be carried across Niagara Falls on his back, Blondin gave him one critical instruction: "Do not lean your own way. Move when I move. Trust me completely."
That's what God asks of us. Not blind passivity, but active trust. Not reckless abandonment of wisdom, but willing surrender of control.
Many of us are white-knuckling areas of our lives—relationships we can't fix, situations we can't control, outcomes we can't guarantee. We're stressed about the condition of the world, anxious about tomorrow, worried about things far beyond our capacity to change.
But what if we climbed to the ramparts? What if we positioned ourselves to hear from God rather than remaining consumed by our circumstances? What if we came with open hands instead of closed fists?
When we don't understand, we worship. Through worship, we surrender. We let go of the illusion that we were ever in control in the first place.
God cannot heal what we won't submit to Him. We cannot experience victory in areas of our hearts we refuse to give to God.
The Ending Is Secure
Here's the truth that sustains us: God's master plan for the world is not ours to manage. That's not our burden to carry. What we need to focus on is God's master plan for our lives—and that plan calls us to wait, to walk by faith, and to trust that God never breaks His promises.
Justice is coming. God is still on the throne. And one day, every knee will bow and every tongue will acknowledge Him (Romans 14:11). Peace will reign. Wrongs will be made right.
Tears will be wiped away.
Until then, we live by faith—not because of what we don't see, but because of what we do see in Jesus Christ.
Will you get in the wheelbarrow?
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