Jan 26
Today’s Truth
“The LORD our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions” (Deuteronomy 29:29 NLT).
Friend to Friend
Remember when television shows used to have cliffhanger episodes at the end of each season? 
There were infamous cliffhangers like Who shot JR? Would Ross marry Rachel? I remember impatiently waiting and wondering all summer long to find out the answers during the fall season premiere.
We have streaming media these days, so we no longer have to wait for television shows, but our lives still have cliffhangers, don’t they? Times when we’re waiting on God to relieve the stress and pressure of our uncertainty:
God, can you just tell me if my mom will survive her cancer?
God, when will we get on the other side of this financial hardship?
God, will I ever meet the person who will love me until death parts us?
God, will I ever accept having this disease?
God, is there any hope for my child’s addiction?
Why does God allow these cliffhanger moments in our lives? Isn’t God aware of how hard uncertainty is on us? I’ve been a Christian since I was nine years old, and yet, I have journals with the phrase, “When will it end, God?” repeated over and over again.
The truth is that God protects us with what He doesn’t give us as much as He blesses us with what He does give.
In Today’s Truth, Moses communicates God’s message to the Israelites right before they moved into an uncertain season and new homeland. I imagine that there were a lot of people who, like us, wanted to know what would happen next. However, God reminded the people to trust His promises and His character rather than information on what was to come.
So, in my struggle to deal with uncertainty, I’ve had two eye-opening moments:
- I can’t know everything that God knows.
- I can trust God with what I don’t know.
At the beginning of our family’s decade-long addiction crisis, I believed that if I knew how things would end, then I would be less stressed. Later I realized that God protected me by not allowing me to know what was ahead so that I could focus on placing my faith completely in Him. As a result, I leaned into His power, presence and provision rather than trying to navigate my suffering on my own.
If we trust that God knows all things, then it’s possible for us to trust God in our moments of uncertainty. He has only given us the knowledge that we need for now. As time goes on, God may give us more of what we need to understand the situations that are a mystery now.
That’s a lot to absorb if you’re dangling on the cliff of scary uncertainty. The first step is to believe, if it’s only just a little, that God will give us what we need to know when we need to know it. I love what the distraught father said to Jesus: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief” (Mark 9:24 NIV). He believed Jesus in his uncertainty just a little bit, and that was enough.
Here’s the takeaway from what we’re talking about: We can relieve the stress of uncertainty by believing that God knows what’s best for me and those I love, even when I don’t. Where do you need to apply that truth in your life today?
Let’s Pray
God, thank You for being the God who keeps Your promises! You have been faithful to Your people throughout all the generations. You know the places of uncertainty in my uncertain life today. Instead of panicking, I choose to embrace Your promises.
In Jesus’s Name, Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Where do you feel the stress of uncertainty in your life these days?
How can trusting that God only gives you what you need to know encourage you today?
More from the Girlfriends
Today’s content is adapted from Barb’s book, Winning Your Worry Battle: Life Lessons from the Book of Joshua. If you or someone that you know is struggling with fear or anxiety, Barb shares her personal stories, God’s powerful promises and lots of practical tools to win your worry battle in Jesus’ name!
(As an Amazon Associate, Girlfriends in God earns A SMALL COMMISSION from qualifying purchases using this paid link.)
©2022 by Barb Roose. All rights reserved.
I tend to feel a little anxiety regarding my home. I have made a downpayment on a house and it is not finished and I am not hearing much from the company. I cannot leave my home to visit the company because I am on quarantine. I have emailed the company and the responses have been vague.
I am reminded that I have to continue to pray and trust God to work this situation out instead of worrying.
Bernadette, I pray that you felt “seen” and known by God in today’s devotional. He knows your circumstance and He is present with you through it. Thank you for sharing it with us. I’m stopping to pray for you right now.
Hi, Barb. This is profound truth today though so hard to keep in our limited, earthbound minds. It boils down to the five letter word: Trust. It struck me recently that when the Bible says don’t worry, that isn’t a suggestion, take it or leave it; it’s a command from heaven! We actually sin if we give in to worry. Oh, but this is hard not to do. It’s so hard to be experiencing the “not knowing” that you describe so well. Yes, God teaches us and reaches us in those times. And, oh, how much easier things will go for us if we don’t fret about it!
Thanks for your writing today, and may the Lord touch in a very special way all who read this today. Amen.
Hi Dennia, thank you for stopping by and sharing your comment today! You’re right, it’s hard not knowing about the future, but as you said, it comes down to the five-letter word: Trust. Such a good reminder!
Barb,perfect timing for your message today. Not only on a personal level but in our communities, in our world,nothing makes sense!
I just finished your devotional “surrendered” and I understand that we “humans” deal with the same challenges but in different ways. I would encourage others to read this devotional as you demonstrate Gods goodness,grace,and mercy for his people if we could only allow God to do his work and praise him for the work he does in our lives.
I love music and one of my favorite songs is Mercy Me “Even IF”;
“Even If” is a reminder to people in difficult situations that don’t seem to go away. God is worthy long before any of those circumstances even showed up. This song is a declaration to God that even if He went silent and never said another word, He’s still worthy to be praised and that He’s our greatest hope in the midst of the trial.” – Bart Millard (MercyMe)
Debbie, thank you for stopping by GiG today! I love that God used the Surrendered Devotional to encourage you – praise God! Your “even if” reminder from Bart Willard is so powerful and true for all of us! Blessings to you!
This is my first visit to your website. A friend shared today’s devotional with me. We are living in the unknown. Our daughter has been missing since July 20, 2021. The situation is convoluted. Rebekah left an abusive marriage in March. She met with a 3rd party person to pick it up items from the home and was never seen again. The police department says it was an accidental drowning and have conducted no searches on land. They have never found Rebekah. Each day is filled with grief and uncertainty. We continue to learn to TRUST with each breath.