“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Uncertainty is a big word that can cause all manners of chaos. We can be uncertain about something as small as how to dress for an occasion or where to eat dinner. But then there are greater uncertainties that test our hearts and bring us to the edge of the cliff of trust.
I know this cliff well and have stepped off of it many times. There are times I have done well with trusting in the midst of uncertainty, and other times, well, let’s just say it took a while to recover from the fall off the cliff.
Trust is a small word with big consequences. Merriam-Webster defines trust as: Assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something; one in which confidence is placed.
When God is asking “Do you trust me?” He is asking, “Do you believe in my character, ability, strength and the truth of who I am? Do you have confidence that I will come through for you?”
Sometimes, we choose to dive off the cliff because we think we can handle the situation on our own. That never works out well, and that fall can leave the worst kind of scar that only Jesus can heal. Or He doesn’t come through in the way we thought He would and when this happens, we can get tripped up and nearly or completely fall off the cliff.
Trust is an ongoing lesson. And with each lesson, our trust either deepens or waivers. In my experience, the sooner I surrender to trust, the sooner I see the Lord’s hand of grace, rescue, and redemption. In contrast, the farther I go away from trust, the longer I stay in worry, fear, anxiousness, and doubt.
Trust and worry are archenemies. And uncertainty is a breeding ground for testing our trust.
In these uncertain times, my hope is that we will hold onto the One who is always certain. He never waivers and never changes. That we will cling to the challenge of trusting when nothing makes sense and we are uncertain of what the futures holds, whether that is a strange virus or a marriage issue or a job change or whatever…there are always things we may be uncertain about. Nothing is new under the sun, and there will always be reasons to be uncertain of the future.
Uncertainty has always been there, it is what we do with it and who we look to in those times that counts the most.
In the words of Jesus, “In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
He is our Rock and our sure Foundation. We can be certain of His love for us and the closeness of His presence to reassure us that He indeed is trustworthy.
Father, we thank You that You are trustworthy. That You alone know the times, seasons, and hold our lives in Your hands. We know and trust that You are good, loving, and kind. We look to You to be our Rock, strength, and shield. We love You and we trust You knowing that even in the midst of uncertainty, we can be certain of You and Your love for us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.