The title of this post seems to be the overriding theme of my life these days. Things continue to be much the same as they have been, which means we continue living in a state of uncertainty and "in limbo" where our future is concerned. We are in our fourth month of this journey into the unknown, and I can honestly say that I am learning so much. My journal is filled with special verses of Scripture, promises, lessons, and blessings from my times with the Lord. I think one of the main lessons God has been teaching me is that waiting is more about the journey, about focusing on God and who He is during the wait, than it is about the end result. That being said, living in uncertainty is difficult because it affects every area of our daily life, down to the smallest decision. How much do we unpack and get re-settled in our house? We have moved in the big pieces of furniture in order to stage the house for showing, and a lot of my kitchen items, so we are definitely more comfortable. But I miss things like our family pictures and my books....if we knew we would soon be getting an offer on the house and moving, it is best to leave them packed, but if we are going to be living here awhile I sure would like them. The same goes for everything from furnishing our upstairs again to what quantities of things to buy (more to move!) to where I should apply for jobs.
As I was reflecting on this one morning while I was out walking, I was trying to think of an example of a woman in the Bible who must have lived with a lot of uncertainty, and my mind went to Jochabed, the mother of Moses. Her story is told in Exodus chapter 2. We aren't told that much about her, but we know enough to know that she lived with a lot of uncertainty. It began when her son was born and his life was threatened because of the order of the Pharaoh that all baby boys should be put to death. The Bible says she kept him hidden for 3 months. That must have been a daily exercise of trusting God in uncertainty - as she tried her best to keep him quiet and hidden, she must have lived every day wondering if this would be the day he would be discovered and taken away from her. Then when she couldn't hide him anymore, she made a basket and put her precious son it and hid him in the bulrushes of the river. Can you imagine - putting your 3 month old in a basket in the river, not knowing what would happen and for how long he would be safe? Even if she was able to keep him safe for awhile, what would happen when he got old enough to move and to walk? Then when Moses was found by the daughter of Pharaoh and was given back to Jochabed to nurse and raise her son, she would have lived with the uncertainty of not knowing just how long she might have him! I'm sure she probably took advantage of every moment, not knowing whether it may be her last with her son.
But you can't read this story without seeing God's hand of providence over and over again. If you go back to chapter 1, we see that God worked in the hearts of the midwives who had been commanded to put baby boys to death immediately upon their delivery. It says that the midwives "feared God," and it was God that led them to stand up to Pharaoh and come up with an explanation as to why they didn't follow through. If they had, Moses would never have lived. We see God's providence again when Moses WAS safe for his first three months. We see it when he was discovered by the daughter of Pharaoh and how God must have worked in her heart to have compassion and love for Moses, rather than turning him over to her father to have him killed as she could have done. And perhaps most obviously, we see God's hand of providence in the quick thinking of Moses' sister Miriam, who came up with the idea of offering the services of her own mother to nurse and raise Moses for the princess. And Jochabed even got paid for it!
My point in all of this (Yes, I DO have a point!) is that times of uncertainty are accompanied by God's providence. God does have a plan. Nothing can stop His plan from being executed. Eccl. 3:14 - " I know that whatsover God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it, and God does it that men should fear before Him." Job 42:2 - "I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted." God in His providence intervenes in the right ways at the right times to accomplish His purposes. His purposes are always for our good and His glory. Romans 8:28 - "And we know that all things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."
There are some things we do not have to be uncertain about! One of them is our salvation. 1 John 5:13 tells us that "these things are written that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life". If you have never come to the place where you realize that you are a sinner and that those sins separate you from God, and have not accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you can make that decision and never have to live in uncertainty concerning your eternal destiny! Another thing we can know is God's love for us, even in uncertain times. Again in Romans 8, verses 38-39: "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Even in these uncertain times we live in, you can be certain of God's love and provision for you!
Lovingly,
Kathi
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