Three Certainties for Uncertain Times

Uncertainty. If there’s one word I would use to describe this year and life during a world-wide crisis, it’s uncertainty. The dictionary defines uncertainty as “being in a state of regular or constant change.”

Sounds about right.

Just about everything is uncertain these days. Health. Jobs. The economy. School this fall. Things change on a daily basis so there seems little in which to plant our hopes or expectations for the future. It’s hard to know what or who to depend upon—or believe. And with all the uncertainty comes a host of questions which swirl around our mind each day. Will I get sick? Will someone in my family get sick? How bad will it be? What will happen to my job—will I even keep it? What will school be like for our children this fall? And always percolating in the back of our mind is the big unknown: When will things ever return to normal?

As believers, we are not left on our own to navigate through uncertain times. While uncertainty is hard and challenging, we do have hope. We have certainty even in uncertain times.

Three Certainties for Uncertain Times

God Does Not Change: At times of uncertainty we have to return to what is true about God. We have to reminds ourselves of his character. One of God’s attributes is that he does not change. Malachi 3:6 says, “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.“ God’s people had sinned against him but he did not destroy them because of the covenant he made with them. His promises stood firm. Theologians called this unchanging nature of God his immutability. Nothing about God can change. He can’t become less holy or righteous or merciful than he is. He can’t gain more wisdom or be more just than he already is. He won’t stop loving us or providing for us. He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8).

In times of chaos and constant change, God’s immutability is a fixed and steady truth for us to cling to. We can trust his promises for us will stand secure. We can know his word remains forever. We can trust that who God is in his character and being is the same today as it was when he called Abram out of Ur and when Isaiah saw him seated on the throne of heaven. He is the same God who sent the eternal Son to live and die in our place. God is the same promise-keeping, grace-showering, life-giving God, today and always.

God is Sovereign: God is not surprised by all this uncertainty. He is not taken off guard or caught unawares by the chaos. He has not gotten busy with some other task in the universe and returned to find the world a giant mess. God is sovereign. He is the supreme sovereign. “…for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose’” (Isaiah 46:9-10).

The One who flung the stars across the galaxy, the One who breathed in man the breath of life, is the One who rules over all he has made. As Christians, we can take great hope in knowing that God is sovereign over all details of our lives. Nothing and no one can thwart his good plans for us. He is at work in the midst of all the chaos, confusion, and uncertainty, orchestrating all things for our good and his glory (Rom. 8:28-29).

God is With Us: Even more, God is present with us in the chaos. The meta-promise of Scripture, “I will be their God and they shall be my people” was fulfilled in Christ when he took on human flesh and lived the life we could not live and died the death we deserved. Immanuel— God with us— brought order to the chaos of this world by healing all that was broken. He reconciled us to God. There are now no barriers between us; we can come to the throne in confidence and find help and grace in our time of need (Heb. 4:16).

Before our Savior returned to heaven, he promised a Helper would come. The Spirit has come and now lives within us. The very presence of God resides in our hearts. He comforts, guides, teaches, convicts, and trains us in righteousness. God is with us! Whatever the chaos, whatever the uncertainty, whatever the unknowns, we are not alone. We are held safe and secure. No evil can threaten to undo us. Let our hearts rejoice that God is near.

This is an uncertain time. There’s no telling how long it will go on. But as believers, we are not without hope. In the midst of uncertainty, we have a certain hope in our great God who is unchanging, sovereign, and present with us. May we rest in these certainties today.

A Mother's Persistent Prayer

I’ve prayed for my children since before they were born. I’ve prayed for all aspects of their life: physical health and development, emotional growth and maturity, behavioral challenges and struggles, and most importantly, their spiritual life. I’ve prayed they would never know a day in their life that they did not know who God is and what he has done for them in Christ. I’ve prayed they would love God’s word and seek to grow in their faith. I’ve prayed he would protect their minds and hearts from evil. I’ve prayed the Lord would prepare and equip them for how he will use them in his Kingdom.

I’ve prayed these prayers over and over. I’ve persisted in these prayers. God has answered some and I see his continued work in others. I continue to pray for them as they grow into godly young men.

I was recently struck by the persistent prayer of another mother, one who lived long ago. This summer, I am taking a church history course with RTS where I enjoy learning about the early church and how God protected and preserved her. Out of all the writings I’ve read of the church fathers, I’ve most enjoyed reading about St. Augustine. While many church fathers wrote extensively on the Christian faith, matters of doctrine, and issues of the day, Augustine is unique because he wrote an intensely personal autobiography, titled Confessions.

Augustine wrote Confessions following his conversion to Christ where he looked back on his life before faith. It is a conversation, a prayer from Augustine to God, confessing his sin and wayward heart. In writing Confessions, Augustine opened the door to his heart so we can see inside. We see how God worked in his life, bringing him on a journey through false religion, idolatry, loss, and hardship to see his great need for the grace of Christ. We see him wrestle with the doctrines of the faith. We see him try to find life and hope outside of God. We see him brought to his knees and there receive the gift of grace. It’s an amazing story, one which mirrors our own.

One of the most influential people in Augustine’s life was his mother, Monica. She was a pious Christian woman, married to a pagan. In the ancient world, male children would follow the religion of their father, so Monica could not automatically pass on her faith to Augustine; she could not have him baptized. However, she did bring him to church and teach him about the faith. He was enrolled as a “catechumen,” what we would think of today as Sunday school. Growing up, Augustine heard his mother sing hymns and pray for him to come to faith. Later in life, he would look back on her dedication to pray for him with gratitude and thanksgiving.

Augustine reflects on his mother’s prayers for his soul in Confessions: “You sent your hand from above, and raised my soul out of that depth of darkness because of my mother, Your faithful one, wept to You for me more bitterly than mothers weep for the bodily deaths of their children.”

He was entrenched in false religions and his mother desperately wanted him to embrace the truth of Christianity. She went to Italy where he was living and he told her he had left the religious group, but still did not embrace Christianity. Augustine recounts his mother’s response to this news, saying that with full confidence she told him she knew before she died he would come to faith. While visiting him in Italy, his mother sought the help of the bishop, Ambrose, asking him to speak to Augustine and show him the truth of Christianity. Ambrose told her Augustine simply wasn’t ready yet to learn the truth and told her to wait, saying “as sure as you live, it is impossible that the son of these tears should perish.”

After years of searching and trying out different religions and beliefs, Augustine finally came to saving faith in Christ. He told his mother of his conversion who rejoiced over this good news. Not long later, she came down with a fever and died.

Monica died having seen the fruit of all her prayers for her son. But she didn’t see what God would do next with Augustine. She didn’t see him become the bishop of Hippo. She didn’t see all the tracts, treatises, and books he wrote. She didn’t hear the sermons he preached. And of course, she did not know the lasting impact his work would have on the church. Augustine’s writings played an important role in the Reformation and continues to instruct and encourage believers today.

This testimony of one mother’s persistent prayer reminds me that God does far more than we can imagine with our prayers. Monica’s prayer was for her son’s salvation. God answered that prayer but did far more than that in the life and legacy of Augustine. As a praying mom, this encourages me all the more to pray for the heart’s of my children. It encourages me in my prayers for all those I long to see God save. It encourages me as I pray for the spiritual health and growth of others, including my own heart.

What an amazing thing to consider! God commands us to pray and uses those faithful prayers to carry out his will. He doesn’t need to, but he chooses to. However, our imaginations are limited. Our prayers are myopic. They aren’t creative. We put limitations on what we think God can do. Yet despite these weaknesses— despite our nearsightedness— God uses our prayers in ways we cannot fathom.

I can’t help but think of the early church praying for Peter in prison (Acts 9). They prayed God would release him, but when Peter came knocking on the door where the church was gathered, still in fervent prayer, they did not believe it was him. Some thought it was his ghost, as though he had died in prison. Yet, God answered their prayers and brought Peter safely to them. What a testimony of God’s grace in nearsighted prayer!

Dear praying moms, keep praying for the hearts of your children. Persist in prayer. Be creative in prayer. Know God can do far beyond what you can even imagine. And while you may not see all the ways God uses your prayers in this life, trust and know you will see the ripple effects of those prayers in eternity.

The Self-Denying Grace of Thanksgiving

When I flip through my prayer journals, I see a common theme, that of supplication. It seems I never hesitate to cry out to God to intervene in my life. I ask for his provision. I seek his help and wisdom. I pray for strength and healing and transformation. These are appropriate prayers, after all, Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread. The psalmist cried out to the Lord for help and hope. And the author to the Hebrews encouraged us to come to the throne of grace to receive help and grace in our time of need (Heb. 4:16).

But I was convicted recently as I read a devotion from the Puritan, Thomas Brooks. When I read these words, “there is more need of praises than there is of prayers,” it made me pause. I stopped to mull that sentence around in my mind. I found myself mentally weighing my needs versus the gifts I’ve received. The next sentence clarified why this is true: “For our mercies outweigh our needs.”

Think of it! All the undeserved and unearned mercies God showers upon us each day far outweigh our needs. The more I considered all these mercies, the more I realized how seldom I stop to return thanks. More often, I take those mercies for granted. Mercies such as daily provisions, protection from evil, the joy of fellowship with Christ, forgiveness of sins, God’s faithfulness and steadfast love toward me, the sanctifying work of the Spirit in me, and so much more.

Thomas Brooks explained what happens when we give thanks: “Thanksgiving is a self-denying grace. It takes the crown from ourselves, and sets it on the head of our Creator. It is a grace that gives God supremacy in our hearts, thoughts, desires, words, and works. Thankfulness is a freewill offering.”

When we give thanks to God for who he is and what he has done, we give to God what he is due. “Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him!” (1 Chronicles 16:28-29). God alone is Creator and Sustainer. He alone gives us life and breath. He alone redeems and saves. In giving thanks, we humble ourselves before the One who gives us all things. Giving thanks reorients our hearts and minds from focusing on ourselves and what is going on around us. It redirects our gaze from the storm to the One who commands the wind and rain. It exalts God and magnifies who he is. It makes God great in our eyes and in our heart.

This admonition is timely for me in this unprecedented season of uncertainty. My worries over these past few months have produced discontentment rather than thanksgiving. Indeed, my prayers are many, but my praises are few. I’ve voiced my worries and concerns, expounded on my grumbles and complaints, and sought the Lord to intervene and provide. Yet, I’ve failed to prostrate my heart in thanks for God’s endless mercies. In the words of Thomas Brooks, I’ve held tight to the crown.

Brooks also pointed out that there is no prayer in heaven, only praise. As John wrote “…the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever” (Revelation 4:9). Thanksgiving and praise is the song of heaven. It’s the recurring anthem, the heartbeat of all who stand before the throne. The more we practice giving thanks on this earth, the more we ready ourselves for heaven to come.

We may not know what tomorrow holds. This uncertainty may continue for some time. Yet even in our difficult circumstances there is reason to give thanks. Because God’s mercies are many, may our praises outweigh our prayers.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:18).

Making Plans, the Future, and Hope in Eternity

“It’s hard not having something to look forward to,” I recently remarked to my husband.

In this strange new time in which we live, we’ve quickly learned that any plans we make must be held loosely. As someone who loves to make plans and work hard toward those plans, this is a challenge for me. Whether it is a family vacation, a ministry event, family gathering, or prepping for the next school year, every plan I make is subject to change due to this ever-changing pandemic. While I’ve always known that I have to hold plans loosely, after all it is God who directs my steps regardless of what I plan (Proverbs 16:9), I’ve seldom lived as though it is true. I make plans and work toward them with the expectation they will likely come to fruition, or at least some version of them will.

But these days, plans are held much loosely than ever before. And as a result, I realize more and more how much hope I place in my plans.

Don’t get me wrong. Making plans or setting goals is not a wrong thing. If we didn’t make plans and didn’t work toward something, we’d not be living out our purpose as image bearers and Kingdom cultivators. If the farmer didn’t look ahead to the next season, he wouldn’t plant seeds and tend to them. He also wouldn’t have anything to eat come harvest time.

Setting goals, planning for the future, and working toward that future are all necessary. I think for me, the challenge is in realizing how much hope I put into that future. How much the idea of that future shapes my present. How my plans and goals define me and give my life meaning. And more, how much I NEED to have that thing to look forward to.

Without any big things to look forward to, I find my heart wandering and seeking to refill that gap. I find myself looking for something, anything to plan and set a goal for. My husband called me the other day from work and asked what I was doing. “Browsing online for a house in the mountains for when we are empty-nesters,” I responded.

Ouch. As I spoke those words aloud, I realized I was chasing an idol. I was looking for something to fill the void all my cancelled plans had left behind.

The Spirit is gentle yet firm with me. It’s no coincidence I am reading through Isaiah right now, a book filled with examples of Israel’s idolatry and the Lord’s compelling call for them to repent and return back to himself. As I read the prophet’s words, I am reminded of how weak and meaningless my idols are (Isaiah 57:13), how they cannot save, rescue, or redeem. I’m also reminded of Calvin’s observations that our hearts are like idol making factories: Remove one, and another takes its place.

But that longing for something in the future, that longing to have something to look forward to, that is an important longing I cannot ignore. That longing is like a shadow of the real thing. Too often, I look to the shadow as the substance. In truth, it can’t even compare. Instead of focusing on what I miss right now, what I can’t have, or can’t do, or can’t plan for, I need to look beyond the temporal future and into eternity.

There is a future ahead for me that I can live for and plan for and wait for with great expectation and hope. It is a certain future far more grand than any vacation I could imagine. It is a future filled with far more meaning and significance than anything I might fill my calendar with on a daily basis. This future that will one day blow away the joy I might miss right now from not being with friends and family or pursuing an important goal or dream. For this future is more than I could ever dream.

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress” (Isaiah 65:17-19).

This weird in-between time as we wait for the pandemic to get under control is a reminder that we live in-between the already and not yet of our faith being made sight. We live in a world that is not our home while we wait for our eternal home with Christ. It’s a difficult tension at times, being in the world but not of it. It’s hard to remember that the joys we experience now are not the end themselves, but only a foretaste of what is to come. The harsh truth is that the more we are rooted in this world, the harder it is to ready ourselves for the one to come.

As the Lord shines a light on the idols of my heart, I am thankful for his grace and mercy. As I repent and pray for a transformed heart, I also pray for his grace to live faithfully for him, not only in the midst of this pandemic, but also as I wait for eternity to come.

Father, forgive me for seeking life and hope outside of you. Help me to find in you all I long for and desire. Fill my thirst and satisfy my soul in Christ. Ready and prepare me for my future in glory. May I live faithfully in the present, all the while looking to the future with great anticipation and joy. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Pray for the Church

Back in March, I wrote a piece on prayer for a website I edit. At the time, we were covering the theme of church/community and it seemed fitting to encourage our readers to pray for the church.

So much has happened in our world and in our nation since I wrote that piece. As a church, we have had to be physically distant because of the virus. And in many ways, we are also spiritually distant from one another. Just a simple scroll through social media reveals such division. It seems that now, more than ever, we need to pray for the Body of Christ. We need to pray for unity. We need to pray for the growth and health of the church. We need to pray for her purity and peace. Oh, that Paul’s prayer to the church in Colossae would be true of us: that we would “be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (1:9-10).

To that end, here is a prayer for the church. (This is revised version of a prayer that originally appeared at enCourage.)

A Prayer for the Church

Father in heaven,

I come before you today with a heavy burden on my heart. When I scroll through tweets and posts on social media, it grows heavier. I hear whispers and complaints among the saints and I am grieved. I see brothers and sisters divided, sometimes even lashing out at one another in sarcasm, anger, and bitterness. At times, I feel my own growing discontent and dissatisfaction with the church. Then there are those times when I come across articles proclaiming false gospels, seeking to lead your people astray, and I am sickened.

I can relate to Paul’s anxieties for the church for I too worry for your Bride. So I come before today, asking for your grace to be at work in your church. You are rich in grace and have showered it upon us in Christ. You are a good Father, providing for your children all that we need. You are sovereign ruler over all things. You see our wayward hearts. You know of our conflicts. You are not surprised by leaders who fall into temptation and sin. You have warned us and called us to repentance (Rev. 2:5,16).

Forgive me for not loving your Bride as you have loved her in Christ. Forgive me for failing to see the church as beautifully diverse as you describe her in Revelation 7. Forgive me for all the ways I try to do life on my own apart from the Body. Forgive me for keeping my gifts to myself and not using them to build up your church. Forgive me for not praying for its purity and peace. Forgive me for my own discontentment and dissatisfaction, for the ways I think the church should serve me, rather than I serve her. Forgive me for participating in gossip and furthering disunity.

Hear my prayer today as I bring the church before you. I pray for local church leaders, that they would watch over the flock you’ve entrusted into their care. I pray for wisdom as they navigate ministry in the midst of a pandemic. I pray you would also give them wisdom to spot false doctrine and point your sheep to the true gospel. I pray they would be committed to you, your word, and your mission. I pray they would be bold, godly, and blameless. Use them to equip the saints to do the work of ministry.

I pray for the church’s witness to the world around us. I pray we would be faithful and stand for what is right and true. May we not bow down to the culture of this age nor be influenced by its doctrine. Help us to shine a light in this dark world, drawing people to the truth of who you are and what you have done. Equip us and strengthen us to share the gospel wherever it needs to be heard. May we not cease our efforts until all the world hears.

I pray for our unity, both in the local church and in the church universal, that we would be united by the gospel. May we be known by our love for one another. As Paul prayed, may our love “abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment” (Phlippians 1:9). May we show one another honor, put each other first, and serve one another’s needs. I pray there would not be a needy person among us because we always share what we have with each other. May we show forbearance toward one another and forgive each other just as Christ has forgiven us. Oh, that the world would look at the church and see Christ in her!

Father, preserve and keep us until the day of Christ’s return. Like a bride waiting for her bridegroom, sanctify and purify us so that we would be beautiful and radiant, ready for that glorious day.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

The God Who Carries

One of the things I love most about writing— whether it be a blog post, an article, or a book— is the opportunity to zero in on a topic in Scripture. Sitting still with one subject for a period of time helps me grasp anew its depth and breadth. I see things I never noticed before. My faith is strengthened and I’m filled with wonder at the riches found in God’s word.

This was certainly true when I studied and prepared to write Idols of a Mother’s Heart. As I read and meditated on God’s word, I discovered just how much the Bible talks about idolatry. The narratives describe idolatry in the hearts of God’s people, the prophets speak out against it, and our Savior redeems us from it. Spending so much time focused on the topic opened my eyes to realize how quickly my own heart turns to lesser gods and that God alone gives me what I need and long for most.

Idolatry and Isaiah 46

Currently, I’m reading through Isaiah in my quiet time, a book in which the prophet repeatedly exhorts God’s people to turn from idolatry and back to God. When we read of their history, we see over and over how they turned from God to worship false gods. We see it in Exodus, when Moses was on the mountain to receive the law from God and they crafted an idol out of gold and worshiped it. We read accounts of king after king setting up altars to worship the gods of the nations around them. Then in Isaiah, God pronounced judgment against his people for their sin.

“For you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of things from the east and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners. Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; their land is filled with horses, and there is no end to their chariots. Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made” (Isaiah 2:6-8).

In Isaiah 46, the prophet focuses in on the idols of Babylon. He describes them as helpless and weak. How foolish to trust in something that has no power!

“Bel bows down; Nebo stoops; their idols are on beasts and livestock; these things you carry are borne as burdens on weary beasts. They stoop; they bow down together; they cannot save the burden, but themselves go into captivity” (Isaiah 46:1-2).

Bel, meaning Lord, is another name for the Babylonian god, Marduk. Nebo is his son. The Babylonians held a yearly celebration honoring both Marduk and Nebo, where animals would carry the gods in a great procession. Isaiah mocks these gods who cannot carry themselves and predicts the day when God would punish Babylon and her gods with her. The same gods in which Babylon trusted and worshiped would not be able to protect them from the wrath of God. As it turned out, Babylon did fall and her idols with her. No one worships Marduk today.

Isaiah continues and contrasts Israel’s God with that of the Babylonian gods. While Marduk and Nebo could not carry themselves and required beasts of burden to take them from place to place, our God carries us: “even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save” (v.4).

What amazing grace! We turn from the true God to worship counterfeit gods, yet he promises to save and carry us. The Hebrew word for carry (nasa) in that verse is also used to mean to bear, to lift up, to forgive. In Christ, we find a Savior who carries our griefs and burdens, our guilt and sin (Isaiah 53). He is the scapegoat who takes our curse upon himself and carries it away.

The God Who Carries Us

Isiah then answers the question: Who is this God who carries his people? He first points out that no one can be compared with God (v.5), because every other god is created by human hands (v.6). They must carry it on their shoulders and set it up in its place where it cannot move (v.7). And “If one cries to it, it does not answer or save him from his trouble” (v.7).

Oh, how I need this reminder! All those things I trust in to make my life work, to make my life safe and comfortable, all those things I look to in the hopes they will make life better—they cannot save me. They only exist because I construct them and then put them in place. They cannot hear me. They cannot meet my needs. They cannot fulfill my longings. They cannot deliver me.

They cannot carry me.

The prophet then calls us to remember who God is, to fix it in our minds, and imprint it on our hearts:

“For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose’” (vv.9-10). God alone rules over all things. He is the one true God and there is none like him. He determines all that will happen and ensures his purposes come to fruition. Everything we trust in, every idol we worship, all the places we look to for life and hope have no power. Our idols will fail us. Like Dagon in 1 Samuel, all the idols of our heart fall down flat in the presence of the true God who made all things.

As I consider the idols I have crafted and set up on the throne of my heart to worship, this passage in Isaiah 46 reminds me of their weakness and helplessness; it reminds me they are worthless. Only God can deliver me from my idolatrous heart. Only he can set me free from my wayward ways. “I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off, and my salvation will not delay; I will put salvation in Zion, for Israel my glory” (46:13). The coming of Christ fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy. Our Savior stills our restless hearts, meets our deepest longings, and carries us out of darkness and into the light of righteousness.

Father, these past few months have revealed idols in my heart I did not realize were there. I thank you for your word which shines a light in the dark places, revealing things I need to see. Help me to see more and more just how weak and helpless these counterfeit gods are. Help me to uproot them and cast them away. In contrast, help me to see you in all your wonder, power, holiness, and grace. By your grace, continue to carry me. In Jesus’s name, amen.