My January 1, 2020 blog post was titled “Stepping into the Unknown.” Boy, that sure was an understatement! None of us had any idea what would unfold in 2020, did we? Unprecedented fires and hurricanes in our country and around the world, a global pandemic, violence in our streets, a moral revolution, a divisive election all have worked together to leave us feeling unsettled and unsure of what 2021 has in store for us.
Added to the global and national crisis, this past year has held deep personal suffering for me and my family. Even as I sit here writing to you, I am reflecting with grief on the shocking death in May of my husband’s uncle, Charlie, who wasn’t just an uncle but was also a close friend. And then there was my end-of-the year surprise cancer diagnosis. Cancer in the midst of a covid world is complicated and adds sorrow upon sorrow.
And so here we are once again, stepping into an unknown future. And frankly, after a year like this past one, we are likely stepping forward with a bit more fear and trepidation than we did last year.
I do not know what the next year holds. I don’t even know what next month or even next week holds! But as we head into the new year, here are a few things that I do know to help us navigate the unknowns of tomorrow:
1. Corrie ten Boom said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” But it IS difficult to trust an unknown future to an unknown God. Here is what I mean. Insecurity about our future is tied directly to our insecurity about our God. We cannot trust our unknown futures if we don’t actually KNOW our God who holds our future. Step into the unknown with a determination to KNOW the God who can be known through the study of His Word.
2. Essential to our survival as exiles in a hostile land is the physical gathering together with believers centered on the Word of God and the worship of the One True God. This past year has taught me that when we gather together on Sundays and in our small groups & Bible studies, we are not just doing a good thing. We are not just doing a social thing. We are doing an essential thing! These gatherings are the means of grace that God is using to cause His people to persevere in a world that is hostile to them. Step into an unknown future with determination to be committed to faithfully gathering with the your local body of Christ.
3. God’s Word is the only thing that is trustworthy and true (Psalm 145:13b-14; Revelation 22:6). It is impossible to find something that is trustworthy and true in our world...about anything. God’s Word alone stands above all else. It is trustworthy and true because it comes from the God who is trustworthy and true. As you step into an unknown future, determine to go to God’s Word for truth. All we need for life and godliness is found in His Word! You can trust it fully!
Jeremiah 17:7-8 says: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when the heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Blessed or happy is the woman whose trust is the Lord. No matter what the year holds for her, she will not be afraid. She will not be anxious. Why? Because the Lord is her trust. She KNOWS Him. She has walked with him in intimacy and she trusts Him. She believes when He says in His Word that He will never leave her or forsake her (Psalm 23, Isaiah 43:2; Isaiah 41:13). She believes Him when He says that trials of various kinds are for the testing of her faith and are producing in her a fully mature faith that will not be lacking (James 1). She believes Him when He says in His Word that ALL things work together for the good of those who love Him, those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28-30). She believes and trusts Him that nothing can separate her from the love of God in Christ Jesus...not death nor life, not angels nor rulers, not things present nor things to come, not powers, not height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation (Romans 8:38-39)...and yes that includes a pandemic AND cancer. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God when we are in Christ Jesus!
As we step into 2021 and all that it holds, both the good and the bad, let us seek to grow in knowing our God, trusting in Him and His Word!
Happy New Year!
Cherie
Post a Comment