Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8
“Uncertain Times”. It seems that almost every advertisement, news article, or blog post these days makes reference to “these uncertain times”. I’ve also seen and heard references to “Challenging Times”, “Unprecedented Times”, “Troubling Times”, “Interesting Times”, and “Unsettling Times”. I’ve even read a few religious articles asking if these are the beginning of the “End Times”? But it seems that “uncertain” is the word used most frequently to describe these times we’re living in. There’s something very safe about the word “uncertain”. It’s non-committal, non-offensive, and non-partisan. No one can ever accuse you of being an alarmist or pushing an agenda when you describe things as “uncertain”. If you do take a position on something, you don’t have to worry about being wrong because, after all, these are “uncertain times”.
But there’s also something very frightening about the word “uncertain”. We live in an age where vast quantities of the knowledge accumulated by mankind over the centuries is literally available at our fingertips. If we don’t know the answer to the problem, we at least know where to find it, usually within seconds. We like to be in the know and we like to be in control. So being uncertain scares us because it forces us to admit that we’re no longer in control and that’s about as bad as it gets. Knowing what is coming, however horrible it might be, allows us time to prepare and this gives us at least some sense of control over what’s happening. We obviously prefer good times over bad times but, as strange as it sounds, we also seem to prefer bad times over uncertain times.
Whatever times we’re living in, Psalm 62 reminds us that we can place all our hope in God. Verses 5-8 of this Psalm are included below:
5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.
6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
8 Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
This Psalm was written by King David, possibly during the days of Absalom’s rebellion (2 Samuel 15-18). This was undoubtedly an “uncertain time” in King David’s life. He didn’t know if he would live or die. He didn’t know if he would ever be able to return to Jerusalem. He didn’t know what would happen to his family or his kingdom. But the one thing King David knew was that God was in control of his life and that allowed him to wait patiently for God to rescue him. Likewise, giving control of our lives over to God allows us to wait patiently for Him to rescue us when our lives have been turned upside down. During these “uncertain times”, the one thing we can be certain of is that that God is in control. And knowing that God is in control is all we really need to know.
Peace and Blessings,
John Petrillo
Faith Lutheran Church Council
05/05/2020