Unwavering Faith in Uncertain Times
UNWAVERING FAITH IN UNCERTAIN TIMES
Will my faith be tested and tried? YES! But can I hold on? YES! Is it easy? NO, but GOD!!!
Hebrews 10:23 which reads “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for He is faithful that promised.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, AND HE SHALL DIRECT YOUR PATHS.”
I remember, my dad used to ask the question, what are you going to do when the Rubber Meets the Road? In other words, can you TRUST that your car and those tires, will get you to where you need to go? Can you TRUST the word of the person who sold them to you? Can you TRUST the manufacturer where the tires came from? And when you’re driving down the road, around the corner or even going on a long trip, can you TRUST that if something punctures your tire, that your car stays steady and gets you to your destination?
The times in which we find ourselves living, is uncertain. So many things can cause us to waver or be unsteady. We are experiencing times when the economy is shaking, families are breaking, health failing and loved ones are being allowed to go to sleep until Jesus comes to get His children. Yes, oftentimes the questions outweigh the answers. But I want to remind us today, that our God is FAITHFUL, He does not change, and His Word remains TRUE.
In seasons of chaos and heartbreak, we are called to have UNWAVERING FAITH. Why? Because we have to TRUST and BELIEVE that our Heavenly Father is FAITHFUL and He will get us to our DESTINATION CALLED HEAVEN. We cannot allow the uncertainty of this world to dictate our final destination. As important as our concerns are, they should keep us holding on to God and TRUSTING His Word. We cannot allow the, at times, OVERWHELMING situations to paralyze us.
We must TRUST that whatever work God has for us to do, He will equip us to get it done. When times get hard and our FAITH LEGS are a little wobbly, we CAN hold on to the Word of God so that He can steady us. In Luke 19, beginning with verse 11, it talks about the parable of the Nobleman who gave 10 of his servants 10 minas (Money) and instructed them to do business till he returned. We know the story, 2 of the servants used the money and earned additional money, and one servant tucked away his money for safekeeping. HOWEVER, the instructions from the Nobleman was to do BUSINESS UNTIL HE RETURNED.
But, what does that look like for us today? It means that no matter what’s going on around us, we are to hold on tight to God’s Promises and DO BUSINESS OF WINNING SOULS UNTIL CHRIST RETURNS.
In other words, use the Word of God to strengthen us and keep us steady.
Which looks like this: When I don’t have money to buy the gas, to get to the job, to receive a paycheck, to purchase the food and keep the lights on, “I Will TRUST in the Lord, with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding; in ALL my ways I will acknowledge Him, and HE WILL DIRECT MY PATH.” Because the Word of God says that “I WILL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEEDS ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY BY CHRIST JESUS.”
It is vital for us to TRUST God and His Word and remain FAITHFUL. Yes, the struggle is REAL, but God never promised that we wouldn’t face some really trying times that will shake us to our very core. But what God did promise, is that He would NEVER LEAVE US OR FORSAKE US.
Just like He took care of our ancestors in times of old, HE WILL TAKE CARE OF US. As we reflect back at our history in the Word of God, we can see countless examples of individuals who were tested and tried, but remained FAITHFUL to God.
We are reminded that although Esther was a Jewish queen in a Persian palace, she was faced with a tremendous task when the decree went out to destroy her people. She stood at a crossroad of “Should I remain silent and safe, or risk my life by speaking up.” But when the Rubber Met the Road for Esther, she TRUSTED her God and said “IF I PERISH, I PERISH."
What Crossroad are you standing at, and will your faith stay steady? Although Esther didn’t know how it would turn out, she was UNWAVERING in who she belonged to. She TRUSTED God when obedience could have cost her life.
Some of us are facing situations where we don’t know what will happen next, our finances, our job, our marriage, with our health; but like Esther, OUR FAITH MUST SPEAK LOUDER THAN YOUR FEAR.
We also have to look at Paul (formerly Saul). You see, in the midst of change he experienced great trials. Although he was a persecutor of the church, his saving grace was his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, which completely transformed his life and he was NEVER the same. Even in the midst of suffering beatings, being shipwrecked, imprisonment, and betrayals, he NEVER wavered, because he TRUSTED the God that TRANSFORMED and DELIVERED him. He writes in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 "We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed."
You see, there is power in UNWAVERING FAITH. OUR UNWAVERING FAITH is not denying that our trials are real, but it’s the REFUSAL to let our trials destroy our faith.
David was anointed king as a young boy and he literally came up against giants, he was hunted by King Saul and spent years running from him. He lived in caves, endured betrayal, and even grieved the loss of a child. And yet, he still wrote in Psalm 27:13–14: "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart."
Like David, just because we are not always delivered immediately from our trials, David’s story teaches us that Delayed Promises Are Not Always Denied Promises. It reminds us that UNWAVERING FAITH holds on even when the things just don’t make sense.
We also can be strengthened by the UNWAVERING FAITH of the Hebrew midwives (Shiphrah and Puah) who stood in UNWAVERING FAITH when they were commanded by Pharaoh to kill every Hebrew baby boy at birth. However, by not obeying Pharaoh, they not only risked their lives, but also the lives of their family members. Even in the midst of definite uncertain times, they honored God!!!
How is our Faith during uncertain times? Do we easily forget God’s Promises by the way we respond to situations, with our words and actions?
When we are faced with the death of loved ones, do we grieve as if we have no hope? Do we treat God as if He is uncaring? Our UNWAVERING FAITH helps us to remember Psalm 34:18 which says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.” And Faith then reminds us that “Even in our loss, GOD IS STILL GOOD.”
When our income is loss and we don’t know how we will survive, we can remember that in Matthew 6:26, Jesus says, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more valuable than they?”
Our UNWAVERING FAITH reminds us that God is our Provider, even when paychecks stop.
When facing infidelity, broken trust and the emotional pain that knocks us to our knees, the Psalmist reminds us in Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
Our UNWAVERING FAITH, holds onto God, not just to restore us, but for HEALING. Many of us have or are facing Health challenges, chronic pain, or a life-altering diagnosis, our UNWAVERING FAITH teaches us to lean on Isaiah 41:10: “Fear not, for I am with you; for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
Having UNWAVERING FAITH and TRUSTING God for Healing doesn’t ignore our pain, it allows us to press into the HEALER and trust HOW and WHEN the healing will take place.
So, let us be Encouraged by God’s Promises:
Romans 8:28 declares: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose”
Joshua 1:9 reminds us to “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Of this, I am certain, GOD DID NOT give us empty words. He gave us HIS WORDS, filled with HIS PROMISES. Promises that Satan wants us to ignore, mistrust and Not cling to. You see, Satan wants us to think that our storm is bigger than the one who controls the winds and the waves during the storm. He wants us to believe that the God who literally spoke and it was done, and created this world from nothing, CAN’T and WON'T deliver on His Word. He wants us to question GOD’S PLAN, GOD'S GOODNESS, and GOD’S TIMING. But our UNWAVERING FAITH encourages us in Galatians 6:9 "Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."
UNWAVERING FAITH isn’t about never questioning or never feeling afraid. It’s about CHOOSING TO TRUST—every day, in every trial, that GOD IS GOOD, HIS WORD IS TRUE, and HIS PROMISES WILL NOT FAIL!.
Our UNWAVERING FAITH, is simply trusting in the character of God when the circumstances don’t add up. So, like Esther, let us STAND FIRM on the Word of God. Like Paul, let us TRUST that God will help us endure the trials. Like David, let us WAIT PATIENTLY on the Lord, and just as Shiphrah and Puah (the Hebrew Midwives) let us FEAR GOD MORE THAN MAN.
God’s Words are LIVING, POWERFUL and ETERNAL. He never promised that we won’t face storms and hard times. But we can trust that He will be our anchor, because He promises to:
- NEVER LEAVE US, as stated in (Hebrews 13:5)
- TO WORK ALL THINGS TOGETHER FOR GOOD (Romans 8:28), and
- TO GIVE US PEACE THAT SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING (Philippians 4:7).
So from this day forward, no matter the weight we carry or the questions that go unanswered, let this be our determination:
“I will trust in the Lord with all my heart, and lean not on my own understanding. In all my ways I will acknowledge Him, and He will direct my path” (Proverbs 3:5–6).
I pray that our FAITH remains UNWAVERING, not because life is easy, but because God is FAITHFUL. So, in these uncertain times of life as the Rubber Meets the Road on our Journey, and our Faith is tested, let us not give up on God, because He hasn't given up on us. Hold on to His WORD. Stand on His PROMISES. AND KEEP WALKING BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT. I pray that God’s Word will continue to be what keeps us steady in these uncertain times. May God Bless each of us.
Blessings, Chaplain Rachel Paschal