“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

Uncertainty tends to make one feel…uncertain.

Every aspect of our lives as Christians requires faith. To believe that there is a God requires faith (Hebrews 11:6). To receive salvation requires faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). To trust God’s promises requires faith. To obey God requires faith. As long as are here on earth, faith is necessary to following Him – because only He can see everything.

The room God left for faith also leaves room for uncertainty.

What are the uncertainties in your life? What is nagging at your mind, pulling for your attention?

Is it an uncertainty with your job situation, your family? Maybe someone you care about is sick. What is pressing in on you right now?

How do you respond to the uncertainties in your life? Do you doubt God and His plan? Do you choose to worry instead of giving it over to Him? Maybe you are really good at just laying the concern down and trusting Him to work it out.

For me, to be honest, I sometimes overthink the uncertainties in my life. I do this in an attempt to control the future or the past, rather than walking forward in faith.

Thoughtfulness is important, when it is accompanied by faith in God’s sovereignty and plan. But when reasoning/thinking takes the place of faith, that is a dangerous place, because it puts our security in ourselves, rather than in God and His wisdom. When we rely on our reasoning over faith, it’s easy for Satan to come along and steal our peace, as he did to Eve. “Did God really say…?” (Genesis 3:1).

Recently it occurred to me that uncertainty isn’t something to fight against with reasoning, or whatever coping mechanism we use. It’s something to embrace.

Oswald Chambers (yes, I quote him a lot) has a devotion called “Gracious Uncertainty”:

“Our natural inclination is to be so precise– trying always to forecast accurately what will happen next– that we look upon uncertainty as a bad thing… The nature of the spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty…Certainty is the mark of the commonsense life– gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, not knowing what tomorrow may bring. This is generally expressed with a sigh of sadness, but it should be an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God…Leave everything to Him and it will be gloriously and graciously uncertain how He will come in– but you can be certain that He will come. Remain faithful to Him.” http://utmost.org/gracious-uncertainty/

So how do we embrace uncertainty? By choosing faith.

Ask yourself, “In my present situation, how can I choose faith?”

Maybe it means calling someone who you know you should call, but you’ve been pushing it off. Maybe it means not running to other people with your problems, but first stopping to pray and ask the Lord for direction. Maybe it means giving up some control by slowing down enough to sit quietly in His presence. Maybe it means obeying even when it’s difficult, but trusting in His promise to never leave your nor forsake you.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6.

Devotional reposted from sjcircuitboard.wordpress.com

Photo Credit: Lívia Bittencourt – Pexel – Ocean Waves Under Rainbow and Cloudy Sky