Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
One of the most interesting panel discussions I have heard was during the COVID pandemic. Several medical persons, psychologists, and a few people outside of those professions were protected by zoom and were sharing their opinions about the anger, mistrust, and conspiracy theories that seemed to be spreading around the nation as swiftly as the virus itself. As they discussed why absurd and impossible ideas were trending, one thought surfaced repeatedly: Uncertainty is one of the hardest concepts for the average person to grasp.
Many of us would rather grasp a flimsy idea that has no basis in fact and no logical dots connecting simply to have an answer. 1 Thessalonians 2 records Paul’s thoughts about the tendency of humans to believe a lie eagerly and willingly if it gives an answer. We want certainty that much.
There is one foundation for certainty and clarity. The certainty is not about a situation, the certainty is in who God is. When we trust the Lord with our whole heart, when we are certain about who HE is, we don’t rely on our own understanding and certainty. We know that anything we are not certain about falls under the heading of HIS faithfulness and surety.
When we find the foundation for our certainty in who HE is, not what the situation is or how we understand it, our focus is seeking His will in all we do. And THAT is the foundation for our clarity. God leads us a step at a time and gives us clarity as we wait on Him in trust. We know the next thing to do, but we don’t know EVERY step of the journey. We don’t know the when and what of the results, but we have clarity on the next obedient piece.
When we approach all of our confusion and uncertainty with wholehearted trust in the Lord, when we are seeking His will in all we do, we are able to live without certainty. We are aware that He is showing us the right path to take, one step at a time.
And we have the clarity and the faith to know that the next step, the one step, is all we need.
- Confusion multiplies when I feel a need to know and be certain about everything. Adam and Eve brought brokenness and sorrow into their lives because they had to have knowledge that wasn’t theirs to know. Wherever you are, whatever you are facing, renew your commitment to the faithfulness and certainty of God. As you do, clarity will come.