The Burden of Uncertainty

Read This:

Deuteronomy 31:6: Be strong and courageous! Do not fear or tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who is going with you. He will not fail you or abandon you!”

Think:

Sometimes, I’m plagued by uncertainty. It’s that feeling that the things I know in my heart aren’t actually true.

I second guess myself. My family. My friends. My path in life. My faith.

I see motives that aren’t there. I think that others only have the worst in mind for me. Ultimately, it leads me to believe that my future is bleak and barren landscape.

Some people tell me this is doubt, but that’s not the right word. That word, doubt, conjures up ideas and feelings that don’t accurately reflect what I’m feeling.

It’s not that I’m wondering about what I’m feeling. It’s more complicated than that.

It’s more about that I’m wondering about how I’m feeling.

It’s like I’m in an echo chamber and all I hear is that God really doesn’t care what happens to me. I assume that in the sea of life, He’s way too busy to concern himself with me as the storms of life slap me around. Could it be that maybe I deserve it?

Uncertainty like this is compounds. It’s debilitating and it’s the exact opposite of what God wants for us.

In Deuteronomy 31:6, we’re told to be strong and courageous. And that’s great advice, right? Because we should be strong and courageous. But sometimes that’s easier said than done. The next sentence in that verse is where it’s at though…

“Do not fear or tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who is going with you.”

Uncertainty is dangerous because it accentuates loneliness. But in God, we should never be lonely because He’s always with us. And when we find ourselves struggling with fear? He’s with us.

That encourages me...I mean, God is with us when we need him most...Emmanuel.

We won’t ever completely avoid uncertainty, fear and worry...But with God, we can capture those feelings and instead celebrate the freedom and community we have in Him. He never promised a carefree life (in fact, he said there would be troubles and trials), but He did promise that he would always be there with us.

That’s a promise that we can will cling to.

Comment:

When have you ever been uncertain? In those times, how did you deal with that feeling and what did you learn?

Pray:

God, in those times when I’m brought low by uncertainty, doubt and worry, I pray that I will be aware of Your Presence. You are all things to me and Your strength is perfect in my weakness. I thank You for being a source of strength of me, for understanding my weakness and for the promise of Your Presence.