In Times of Uncertainty

 

Uncertainty unnerves me. Life is always uncertain, however, there are times when I forget that, but then there are times when it is ever before me. It seems to me that I toggle back and forth between these two states … blissfully unaware of the uncertainty of life or overwhelmed by the uncertainty of life. Can you relate to this? 

As much as I hate being overwhelmed by life's uncertainty, I know that it is in this place where I am learning to know and value the certainty of my Lord’s faithfulness and goodness. The writer of the book of Lamentations, the prophet Jeremiah, is himself overwhelmed by the uncertainty of his days. So uncertain are these days that he writes an entire book lamenting the terrible circumstances he and his beloved nation are living in. 

As you read through this book, you will soon be overwhelmed by the uncertainty, dread, and fear that were a part of Israel’s every day existence. But right in the middle of his grief, Jeremiah shifts his focus off the circumstances and onto something that is certain. It is in this shift in perspective that he is able to find hope. Let us look closely at Jeremiah's words and learn how to navigate our own anxiety in the midst of uncertainty. 

The Word of the Lord through Jeremiah says,

“But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end-they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, therefore, I will put my hope in Him.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

The first certainty Jeremiah calls to mind is the truth that the Lord’s love never ceases. It is as steadfast and unmovable as the the Lord Himself is. The Lord our God is our good shepherd who lovingly leads His sheep both beside still waters where He restores our souls AND into the valley of the shadow of death where His rod and staff comfort and encourage us. It is easy for us to feel loved when we are beside still waters but in the valley we are prone to believe that His love has abandoned us in this place. But this is not the truth. Scripture repeatedly teaches that His love is steadfast and sure and it never ceases. The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:38-39: For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. For I am sure. Notice Paul’s certainty in the steadfast love of our Lord! His unfailing love toward believers is the one certain thing we can focus on in the midst of the uncertainty which surrounds us. 

The second certainty Jeremiah calls to mind is the truth that the Lord's mercies are new every morning. Every morning when we open our eyes to a new day, we can be certain that there will be new mercies from our Lord to sustain us for this day. But these mercies are just for today. When I am filled with fear and anxiety, I have come to realize that much of those fears are rooted in worrying about tomorrow’s mercies. Will they be there for me tomorrow? What if the worst happens - what will I do? How will I react? But God through His Word is teaching us to rely on Him daily for His sustaining mercy! In the same way that the children of Israel were instructed to gather only enough manna for the day and trust in God's provision for tomorrow, we gather His mercies for today trusting that our good God will provide mercies that we need tomorrow when tomorrow comes. Live on today’s mercies trusting that tomorrow's will be there for you!

Jeremiah continues to call to mind more certainties. This time he focuses on the greatness of the Lord's faithfulness. It is because of the Lord's faithfulness that we can trust Him for our daily mercies! It is because of the Lord's faithfulness that His love is steadfast and never ceases! The Lord our God is a faithful God. There is no shortage of Scripture passages that remind us of this truth. Yes He is faithful and not only that we are to marvel at how great His faithfulness is!  Even “if we are faithless, He remains faithful— for He cannot deny himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13) God’s faithfulness is rooted in His very nature. To not be faithful would be to deny His very nature. In light of this, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23)

And finally the fourth certainty that Jeremiah calls to mind is the truth that the LORD Himself is his portion and therefore it is the LORD who is his hope. Hope is not a thing, it is a person! It is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the hope that we hold unswervingly to! He is our hope in the midst of uncertainty. He is our hope and He is our portion, our prize, our inheritance. Like the tribe of Levi who inherited no land because the Lord was their inheritance, we who are believers receive as our inheritance, the outcome of our salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the means of our salvation but He is also the object and the end of our salvation. He is our very life. He is our imperishable, unfading, undefiled and certain inheritance!  Those who belong to Jesus join with the psalmist in joyfully proclaiming “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” (Psalm 16:5-6) 

I’m not sure what is going on in your life today. Are you resting beside still waters being restored or do you feel that you are being led into the valley of the shadow of death keenly aware of the uncertainty of life? Regardless of your circumstances, I pray that you will join me in calling these things to your mind and let the certainty of these truths give you stability. Remember His steadfast love, His daily mercies, His great faithfulness, and that He is your portion. In light of this, therefore, put your hope in Him.

Grace and peace,

Cherié