Would You Trust God If His Plan Made Zero Sense?
Picture this: God tells you to announce a drought. No rain. No dew. Complete water shortage.
Then He tells you to go hide by a brook and drink from it.
Wait… what?
If there’s no rain, that brook is going to dry up. So why would God send you there to survive on water that’s guaranteed to disappear?
This is exactly the situation Elijah faced in 1 Kings 17. And honestly? It makes no sense from a human perspective.
But that’s the point.
If you’re currently in a season where God’s direction seems completely counterintuitive, where His plan makes zero logical sense, or where you’re asking “Why would God lead me here only to let everything fall apart?”—Doug Schorle’s sermon on Elijah’s obedience is going to reshape your perspective.
Why This Message on Obeying God When Life Doesn’t Make Sense Matters
This Doug Schorle sermon from Atlantic Gospel Chapel tackles one of the hardest aspects of the Christian life: obeying God when life doesn’t make sense.
We love it when God’s plans are clear, logical, and comfortable. We’re all about following Jesus when the path is well-lit and the destination is obvious.
But what about when:
- God leads you somewhere, then lets the resources dry up?
- You’re doing exactly what He said, and everything still falls apart?
- His instructions seem to contradict His promises?
- You can’t see how this could possibly work out?
That’s when faith gets real. That’s when obedience costs something.
And that’s exactly where Elijah found himself.
Elijah’s Impossible Situation
The Setup
Let’s set the scene from 1 Kings 17.
King Ahab was Israel’s worst king yet. He married Jezebel, who brought Baal worship into Israel. The nation had completely turned from God.
So God sent Elijah with a message: “There will be no rain or dew except by my word.”
Bold. Confrontational. Dangerous.
Ahab wasn’t going to be happy about this. In fact, later we learn that Ahab sent troops throughout Israel and even to foreign nations trying to find Elijah. He spared no expense hunting him down.
Elijah had just made himself enemy #1.
God’s “Solution”
After Elijah delivers this message, God gives him instructions:
“Go away from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. You will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to sustain you there.” (1 Kings 17:3-4)
Okay, let’s think about this for a second.
The Problem: No rain. Complete drought. Water sources will dry up.
God’s Plan: Go drink from a brook.
The Obvious Issue: Brooks are filled by… rain. Which there won’t be any of. Because Elijah just announced there wouldn’t be.
Do you see the problem here?
This is what Doug Schorle calls God bringing circumstances into our lives that seem completely counterintuitive.
From a human logic standpoint, this makes no sense. It’s like God saying:
- “I’m going to light your house on fire, but go stand inside it—you’ll be safe.”
- “A flood is coming, but build your house in the valley.”
- “There’s a famine, so go to the place with the least food.”
Elijah’s Response
Here’s what’s remarkable about Elijah: he went anyway.
“So he went and did according to the word of Yahweh, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith.” (1 Kings 17:5)
No argument. No negotiation. No “But God, have You thought this through?”
He just obeyed.
Three Critical Truths About Biblical Stewardship Principles
Doug Schorle breaks down three essential aspects of Christian stewardship through Elijah’s story. And by “stewardship,” we’re not just talking about money—we’re talking about how we handle everything God entrusts to us, including our very lives.
1. The Purpose of Our Stewardship
First truth: God gives us stewardship to accomplish His purposes, not our comfort.
Elijah wasn’t given this assignment because life would be easy. He was given it to:
- Confront evil (King Ahab and Baal worship)
- Proclaim God’s truth to a rebellious nation
- Demonstrate God’s power and provision
This biblical stewardship principle applies to us too.
God doesn’t call us to comfortable lives. He calls us to purposeful lives.
Your Application:
What has God called you to do that feels uncomfortable or even dangerous?
- Sharing the gospel with someone who might reject you?
- Taking a stand for biblical truth when it’s unpopular?
- Serving in a way that stretches you beyond your comfort zone?
- Making a decision that doesn’t make financial sense but honors God?
The gospel itself is confrontational. It tells people they’re sinners who need a Savior. That’s not a popular message. Never has been, never will be.
But that’s our stewardship—to faithfully proclaim truth even when the world doesn’t want to hear it.
2. God’s Sovereignty in Our Stewardship
Second truth: God is sovereignly in control of all circumstances in our lives—even the ones that don’t make sense.
This is where it gets hard. And this is why God brings hard circumstances into our lives.
Here’s Elijah at the brook Cherith:
- Ravens bring him food morning and evening (miraculous!)
- He has water from the brook (provision!)
- He’s hidden from Ahab (protection!)
Life is good. God is providing.
But then:
“Now it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.” (1 Kings 17:7)
Wait. What?
God, You sent him here. You promised to sustain him. And now the water source is… gone?
If you were Elijah, what would you be thinking?
Doug Schorle suggests Elijah might have been tempted to think:
- “God, what gives? I did what You said!”
- “I’ve been faithful! Why is this happening?”
- “Did I miss something? Did I mess up?”
- “How am I supposed to survive without water?”
But here’s the crucial truth Doug emphasizes: God never withholds what is needful in our lives.
Read that again: God never withholds what is needful.
The brook drying up wasn’t God forgetting about Elijah. It wasn’t God being late. It wasn’t God making a mistake.
It was God moving Elijah to the next phase of His plan.
Why Does God Allow Circumstances I Can’t Handle?
This is one of the most common questions Christians wrestle with: “I thought God doesn’t give us more than we can handle?”
Actually, yes He does.
Here’s why that’s good news:
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 – Paul’s thorn in the flesh: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”
2 Corinthians 1:8-9 – Paul in Asia: “We were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.”
God absolutely brings circumstances into our lives that are beyond our ability to handle on our own.
Why?
- To teach us dependence – When we can handle it ourselves, we don’t need God. When we can’t, we’re forced to rely on Him.
- To build character – Doug uses the illustration of a child learning to walk. If you always carry them, they never develop the muscles needed to walk. Growth comes through challenge.
- To prepare us for what’s next – The brook drying up moved Elijah to Zarephath, where God would do an even greater miracle and save even more lives.
Your Application:
What circumstance in your life right now feels beyond your ability to handle?
Instead of asking “Why is this happening?” try asking:
- “What is God teaching me through this?”
- “How is this building my dependence on Him?”
- “What might God be preparing me for?”
The answer might not be clear now. But looking back, you’ll see it.
3. The Impact of Our Stewardship
Third truth: God uses our faithful obedience to impact others in ways we can’t see.
After the brook dried up, God sent Elijah to Zarephath—a Gentile town in Sidon (enemy territory, by the way).
There, God directed him to a widow who was preparing her last meal before she and her son died of starvation.
Elijah asked her for food. (Seems rude, right?)
But through his obedience, God:
- Provided miraculously for the widow and her son for years
- Raised the widow’s son from the dead
- Brought this Gentile woman to faith in the God of Israel
Notice what the widow said after her son was raised:
“Now I know this, that you are a man of God and that the word of Yahweh in your mouth is truth.” (1 Kings 17:24)
Initially, she called Yahweh “your God” (1 Kings 17:12). But after seeing God work through Elijah, she called Him simply “Yahweh”—she claimed Him as her own God.
Elijah had no idea this would happen when he went to the brook Cherith.
He couldn’t see that:
- The brook drying up would lead him to Zarephath
- His obedience would save a widow and her son
- A Gentile woman would come to faith
- His faithfulness would be recorded in Scripture to encourage millions of believers for thousands of years
Doug Schorle shares a powerful personal example from this sermon:
Ten years ago, he had a severe neck injury at Iowa Bible Camp. As he lay there unable to feel anything below his neck, one of his thoughts was: “But I led someone to Christ this week. Doesn’t that count for something?”
But this past summer, someone told him about a woman who was on staff that week—a woman who didn’t know the Lord. She trusted Christ that night because of what happened.
Doug had no words to her. He doesn’t even know who she is. But God used his suffering to bring someone to salvation.
That’s the impact of faithful stewardship.
Your Application:
You might never see the full impact of your obedience. But God does. And He’s using it.
- That time you chose integrity over an easy paycheck
- When you shared the gospel despite fear of rejection
- The way you’ve served faithfully even when no one noticed
- Your perseverance through suffering with hope and trust
God is using it. He’s working through it. The impact reaches further than you know.
Practical Steps for Obeying God When Life Doesn’t Make Sense
Doug’s sermon isn’t just theology—it’s practical faith for real life. Here’s how to apply these truths:
Step 1: Do the Next Right Thing
Elijah didn’t have a 10-year plan. He had one instruction: “Go to the brook Cherith.”
So he went.
When the brook dried up, he got a new instruction: “Go to Zarephath.”
So he went.
Your move: Stop trying to figure out the whole plan. Just do the next thing God has told you to do.
- Pray daily
- Read Scripture
- Serve where you’re planted
- Handle your current responsibilities with excellence
- Obey what you already know
God doesn’t owe you the full blueprint. He just asks you to take the next step.
Step 2: Trust God’s Character, Not Your Circumstances
Your circumstances will lie to you. They’ll tell you God has abandoned you, forgotten you, or doesn’t care.
But God’s character never changes:
- He is faithful
- He is good
- He is sovereign
- He loves you
- He keeps His promises
Your move: When circumstances scream one message and God’s Word says another, believe God’s Word.
Write down God’s promises. Speak them out loud when fear rises. Remind yourself of His character when everything looks dark.
Step 3: Look for God’s Provision in Unexpected Places
God sent ravens to feed Elijah. Ravens—unclean birds that normally eat dead things—became God’s delivery service.
God sent Elijah to a starving widow. The last person who should have been able to help became the source of provision.
Your move: Don’t limit God to your expected sources.
Maybe the answer to your financial need won’t come from a raise—it might come from unexpected generosity, a random check, or reduced expenses.
Maybe the healing won’t come from the doctor—it might come from prayer, community support, or supernatural intervention.
Maybe the solution to your problem won’t be what you planned—but it will be exactly what God planned.
Stay open. Watch for His hand in unexpected places.
Step 4: Remember: “Thy Will Be Done”
This is the heart of the message. When we pray “Thy will be done,” we’re saying:
- “God, I trust Your plan more than mine”
- “Your wisdom is greater than my understanding”
- “Your timing is perfect even when it feels late”
- “Your ways are higher than my ways”
Jesus prayed this in Gethsemane: “Not My will, but Yours be done.”
It’s the prayer of submission. Trust. Obedience.
Your move: Pray this daily. Mean it. Then live it.
When God’s direction doesn’t make sense, say “Thy will be done” and obey anyway.
When circumstances fall apart, say “Thy will be done” and trust anyway.
When you can’t see the purpose, say “Thy will be done” and press forward anyway.
What to Do When God’s Direction Doesn’t Make Sense
Let’s get super practical. You’re facing a situation right now where God seems to be leading you somewhere that makes zero sense.
Here’s your action plan:
Today:
- Acknowledge your confusion honestly – God can handle your questions. Bring them to Him.
- Review what you KNOW is true – God’s character, His promises, His past faithfulness
- Identify the next step of obedience – What’s the one thing you know you should do?
- Take that step – Even if it’s small. Even if it doesn’t make sense.
This Week:
- Listen to the full sermon – Hear Doug Schorle’s complete message here
- Read 1 Kings 17 – The whole chapter. See Elijah’s full journey.
- Journal your situation – Write out what doesn’t make sense and what you know to be true
- Share with a trusted believer – Don’t walk through this alone
Going Forward:
- Check your expectations – Are you expecting God to make sense to you, or are you trusting He makes sense period?
- Document God’s faithfulness – When you look back and see how He worked, write it down
- Help others in similar situations – Your story of God’s faithfulness will encourage someone else
- Keep saying “Thy will be done” – Make it your daily prayer and life motto
Why God Brings Hard Circumstances: The Big Picture
Doug emphasizes something crucial in this sermon about why God brings hard circumstances:
It’s not punishment. It’s preparation.
The brook drying up wasn’t God being cruel to Elijah. It was God moving him to the next assignment.
The widow’s desperate situation wasn’t God being negligent. It was the setup for a miracle that would bring glory to His name.
Your current impossibility isn’t God abandoning you. It might be God positioning you for something you can’t see yet.
Romans 5:3-5: “We also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction brings about perseverance, and perseverance proven character, and proven character hope, and hope does not put to shame, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
Hard circumstances:
- Build perseverance (you develop spiritual muscles)
- Prove character (you discover what you’re really made of)
- Produce hope (you learn God comes through)
- Reveal God’s love (you experience His presence in the valley)
It’s transformative. It’s purposeful. It’s loving.
Not in a warm-fuzzy, “everything’s easy” kind of way. But in a deep, character-shaping, eternity-focused way.
A Word for Atlantic, Iowa Churches and Beyond
If you’re part of one of the Atlantic, Iowa churches or the broader Christian community reading this, here’s the challenge:
We live in a culture that increasingly hates biblical truth. Like Elijah facing Ahab and Jezebel, we’re called to proclaim God’s Word to a world that doesn’t want to hear it.
That’s uncomfortable. It’s countercultural. It might cost us relationships, opportunities, or reputation.
But it’s our stewardship.
Atlantic Gospel Chapel, where Doug Schorle preaches, is committed to teaching the whole counsel of God’s Word—even when it’s hard, even when it doesn’t make sense by worldly standards, even when it costs something.
That’s the kind of faith community we need:
- People who will obey God when life doesn’t make sense
- Believers who trust His sovereignty even in hard circumstances
- Christians who fulfill their stewardship regardless of opposition
If you’re looking for that kind of community, we’d love to have you visit.
And if you’re part of a different church but resonated with this message, share it with your community. We all need these reminders.
The Bottom Line
Obeying God when life doesn’t make sense isn’t optional for Christians—it’s essential.
Because here’s the reality: life often won’t make sense from our limited perspective.
God sees the whole story. We see one page. One paragraph. Sometimes just one confusing sentence.
But that’s okay. Because we don’t need to see the whole plan to trust the One who made it.
Elijah didn’t understand why God sent him to a drying brook. But God did.
Elijah didn’t know about the widow in Zarephath. But God did.
Elijah couldn’t see how this would all work out. But God could.
And the same is true for you right now.
You might not understand why God has you where you are. But He does.
You might not see how this situation could possibly work out. But He can.
You might not know what comes next. But He does.
So do the next right thing. Trust His character. Say “Thy will be done.” And obey.
The brook might dry up. But God never does.
Your circumstances might fall apart. But God’s plan never will.
You might reach the end of yourself. But you’ll never reach the end of Him.
That’s the hope. That’s the promise. That’s the God we serve.
Experience the Complete Message
This blog post only captures a portion of the depth and encouragement in Doug Schorle’s teaching. To hear the full sermon with all the biblical insight, personal stories, and pastoral wisdom, listen to the complete message here.
Whether your brook is drying up or you’re facing circumstances that make no sense, this Doug Schorle sermon will anchor your faith in God’s perfect character and sovereign plan.
About Atlantic Gospel Chapel: We’re a Bible-teaching church in Atlantic, Iowa, committed to proclaiming God’s Word faithfully and helping believers live out their faith in real-world circumstances. We believe that obeying God when life doesn’t make sense is exactly when faith matters most. Come visit us and experience a community that takes God’s Word seriously.
