Uncertainty

     Life is full of uncertainties.  It's a journey we all need to go through.  You have the uncertainties that are of good, like being a spouse, a parent or maybe even winning the lottery.  When you are about to get married, you wonder how well you will do as a spouse.  When expecting a baby, you wonder if you'll be a good parent.  When you buy that one lottery ticket, the uncertainty of winning is overwhelming.  The good things in life can leave you feeling uncertain of the outcome, just as the bad things leave you feeling the same way.  You may have come down with an illness and don't know where it will leave you.  You may have lost your job and don't know where your next meal will come from, or you may have a child in need of some sort.  For those going through these things, you are left helpless and sometimes in despair.

     Life isn't about how good things will turn out in the end, it's about how you go through those times that end up being not so good.  We never know what will happen in the next year, the next month, the next week or day, or the next moment, but Jesus knows and He is in control of all of it.  There is a certainty in that.  It is certain that Jesus loves you, takes care of you and provides for you---in all things.  The plans that Jesus has for you is a certainty that He will give you hope and a future.  The greatest thing we can give Jesus is praise in the midst of trials.  Giving Him glory in any situation is the greatest gift to Him.  People praise God for healthy new-born babies, but some, blame God for death and destruction, and that my friend is the farthest from the truth.  God is love and Jesus gives us peace.  It is the enemy that wants death and destruction for everyone so that they may perish, and he wants that especially for believers so that we will not have joy.

     The best defense to have against the enemy is to have joy through your problems that could become obstacles in your life.  To persevere through the muck and mire of life.  A journey through life always has pain, but not all the time.  We may suffer little, we may suffer much, but to God be the glory, He does not keep us there in the filthy pit.  He brings us out of the deep hole we fall into with grace and mercy and love.  In my young adult life I experienced the mire, and in my mid-life for awhile as well, but God gave me the victory in His salvation and restoration from the pain I went through.  When I feel like my life is chaotic at times and it brings on too much stress, Jesus says, "Peace be still".  In your life you can have the same peace, no matter what you are going through, and that is for certain.