Trusting God in Uncertain Times

To say that we are living in uncertain times might be the understatement of the year. “Uncertain” hardly captures what’s going on.

Just a quick look at national world events shows how volatile our situation is. Who’s ready to trust Iran or North Korea with nuclear weapons? How many peace treaties signed by Middle Eastern countries make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside? How many mothers are praying for their sons’ safety in places like Afghanistan today?

What do you make of the recent wave of earthquakes that have taken hundreds of thousands of lives and caused destruction and displacement for countless others? Where do you suppose the next one will hit? Who knows what’s going on with this volcanic eruption in Iceland, and what the fallout will be?

When will our national economic crisis be over? How many more people will lose their jobs, their homes, their investments and retirement savings? What’s going to happen to our country economically down the road as a result of the huge government bailouts and stimulus packages?

Does anybody know what to make of the passage of the healthcare reforms? What changes will this mean for the way medicine is practiced? How will this affect the care you receive from your doctor?

The uncertainties of our day not only appear on the national and international stage, but they also show up in our personal relationships. How many children will go to bed tonight worried that their parents are going to get divorced? How many wives will go to bed worried whether or not their husbands will even come home? How many widows will go to bed after yet another day when the phone never rang and no one came over?

How many parents wonder how in the world one child turns out to be a fine, productive citizen while their other one ends up in jail? And how many parents only wish their child would end up in jail so at least they’d know where he is, rather than being strung out on drugs and sleeping under a bridge in the middle of some city?

We are living in uncertain times. Have you ever noticed that life doesn’t always work out exactly like you’d planned? Does it seem that God is distant, unavailable or unconcerned, or maybe non-existent? It’s easy to become frustrated, discouraged, anxious and depressed when the uncertainties of life begin to multiply.

So what’s the answer? How should we live in the midst of uncertain times?

The answer is this: Trust in the Lord. Sounds too simple, I know, but it’s true. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Even though the uncertain circumstances of life may seem overwhelming, God is still in control. He’s a pretty big God, in case you haven’t noticed.

If He is able to speak the creation into existence and sustain all things by the word of His power, don’t you think He’s able to carry you through if you’ll trust Him? And if He’s demonstrated His love by giving up His Son Jesus on the cross, don’t you think He’ll graciously give you whatever you need if you’ll trust Him? And if two sparrows are sold for a penny yet not one falls to the ground apart from the will of our Father in heaven, then don’t you think that to Him you are worth more than many sparrows, and that there’s nothing to be afraid of if you’ll trust Him?

Trusting God doesn’t mean that everything will work out like you want it to. One writer says it this way: “Authentic faith isn’t intense, religious positive thinking that is intended to produce a certain outcome. Biblical faith means that we trust in God. Period. Not in a particular result. Not in a happy ending. Faith simply means that we trust Him, knowing that whatever the outcome may be, life will still be okay because He is in control” (Steve McVey, GraceVine, March/April 2010).

Proverbs 3:5-6 says it best, and says it all for those who long for a solid place to stand when the uncertainties of life try to shake your faith: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”