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None of us likes uncertainty. It’s like a flashing sign on the highway of life that reads, “You Have No Idea What’s Coming Next.” We become uncomfortable and try to figure out how and when a particular situation is going to resolve itself. The Apostle Paul was continually staring uncertainty in the face. As a prisoner of Rome, isolated from those he loved, unable to carry out his missionary travels. He woke each day not knowing if he would be freed or sentenced to die. And to make matters worse, he was shackled by a 6-foot chain to a strong intimidating Roman soldier. For Paul, uncertainty was his invitation to intimacy. It was a setting for him to get to know Jesus in a more meaningful and personal way. He had set his heart and mind on an intentional pursuit to have an experiential knowledge of Jesus. He doesn’t allow the fact that he’s a prisoner diminish his passion for knowing Jesus more.
This example of Paul’s unquenchable ambition to know Christ in the midst of unpleasant circumstances should be a challenge to us. We are so tempted to use the stress of any given situation as an excuse to place our walk with Jesus on the back burner, unlike Paul who allowed the flames of uncertainty to ignite within him a deeper desire.
Psalm 103:7 tells us to “Hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is abundant redemption.” To stamp out hopelessness in uncertain times, stop feeding it. If you want your hope to grow, then look to God’s Word and feed it with truth. Isaiah 40:30-31 says, “Even youth grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.” Also, Romans 2:24-25 says, “For in this hope we were saved. Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not have, we wait patiently.” These passages feed our hope because they remind us that even though we may become discouraged at times, we can find strength if our hope is positioned correctly. The nature of our hope is one longing for something better.
One day our seasons of uncertainty will pass. We do, however, have a choice; will it push us into a deeper, intimacy with Jesus, or cause us to drift further away? Know that our hope is fed by grounding it in reality. Even though we may not have what is coming to us yet, we hope with certainty because it’s only a matter of time. Remember, many things about tomorrow, we don’t seem to understand; but we do know who holds tomorrow, and we know who holds our hand. Then and only then will we hope no more because there will be at long last no need to do so. Amen!
PASTOR ANDREA (REV. ANDIE)
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