Recently, during a fit of spring cleaning, Beth and I were going through a stack of books and notebooks, trying to determine which were worth keeping and those that would better serve not taking up valuable shelf space. In one of those notebooks, I came across the following—a reflection written by a younger, still-single Steve (circa. 2007) who was contemplating marriage and the future. It reminded me that there is joy in uncertainty when you trust the One who holds the future in His hands. ‘Tis a lesson worth repeating—mostly for myself, but hopefully it speaks to others as well.
It dawns on me that I often view uncertainty or lack of future knowledge as a detriment. I see it as a lack of faith on my part—a result of the Fall. “If only I were more committed to seeking God’s will through prayer and devotions,” I reason, “then God would make his plans known to me.”
But faith is not the result of knowing what lies ahead, but rather in the knowing of Him who knows the future. “Faith is being sure of what we hope for,” but not necessarily a certainty that God will bring these things about in the time and manner we expect, if at all.
If there was no Fall, would there be no uncertainty? I doubt it. I think God enjoys surprising us with His love and grace. The difference would be that we wouldn’t loathe this uncertainty. Rather, we would embrace it, knowing that God has great things in store for us, and eagerly embracing what might be coming next. It would be like a child on Christmas morning, not knowing what lies under the tree, but looking forward to finding out.
Faith comes not in knowing what the future holds, but in Who holds the future. Faith is not an act of wisdom or insight, but of trust. May I learn to embrace my uncertainty of the future as a chance to see God pour out His grace and undeserved favor on me and through me. Whatever the future holds for me personally, I know that God holds the future in His hands, and that in Him all things are yea, and amen.
Reflections from a Perfectly Normal Childhood 