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Uncertain Times
"'Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.' ... So Abram left, as the Lord had told him." (Genesis 12:1,4).
Sounds simple, doesn't it? But was it?
Abraham is lauded for his faith, deservedly so; but have you ever wondered about Sarah? Imagine that conversation:
"Honey, pack up everything. We're moving to a foreign land."
"Where are we going?"
"I don't know. God knows."
"How long will we be traveling?"
"I don't know. God knows."
"How will we know when we get there?!"
"I don't know. God will tell us."
Would you have packed? Hubby says you have to uproot from everything that is familiar to you, and he doesn't even know where he's going! God never told him what land he was going to. He only said He would show him ... Having had the experience of packing to leave my country, my people, my father's household, I know how difficult that is. But at least I knew where I was going. I can't imagine going through all that without even knowing my final destination. And yet, they went.
The Bible doesn't record their feelings, only their obedience. We don't know if they left with joy or trepidation ... or a little of both; we only know for sure that they went. I find that encouraging because it tells me that it is our faithful obedience that counts, not our feelings.
Uncertain times-not knowing where God is leading us-are hard to go through. And life can be full of those times: we're ill; a new treatment may help us or it may not. Tests reveal a mass in our body; it may be cancer or it may not. Our company is struggling; we may be laid off or we may not. We have presented ourselves for a job we really want and need; we may get it or we may not ... How do we deal with uncertainty? How do we plan when we don't know what will happen or what it is we are dealing with or for how long?
Abraham's example reminds me that it is okay for us not to know... because God knows. Uncertain times are stretching times. The irony is that we feel abandoned by God, when the reverse is actually true-He is drawing us closer to Him, cementing our walk with Him, making us more dependent on Him.
In uncertain times the world will tell us to prepare for the worst and
hope for the best. We have a better way-just keep walking, reminding ourselves
Whose everlasting arms are underneath us.
He's got us, and He will lead. One step at a time. Just as He promised:
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you." (Psalm 32:8)
-Maria Lund