ARE WE THERE YET?
Just as your minivan backs out of the driveway, you hear the question. A whine emanates from the backseat, “Are we there yet?” You’ve heard it a million times and you’re confident this query will be repeated once a minute until you reach your destination.
As followers of Jesus, we often find ourselves in the same place. Waiting... questions… doubts… uncertainty. We wonder, “Are we there yet?” Facing an unsettled future often feels like you’re holding your breath, waiting for God to do something. Anything. Even if it’s bad news, at least you know what you’re dealing with. Uncertainty feels like a dark night, heavy with fog. You’re gasping for air, and can’t see where you’re headed.
We’ve all been there. Those agonizing seasons where our faith clashes with fear. Where’s the money coming from to pay an overdue bill? Will my wayward child return to her faith? Will my heart ever heal from this divorce?
Currently, Linda and I are facing the uncertain outcome of her stage-four cancer. Will she respond to treatment and recover? How long will it take? Will today bring another miserable day?
It’s the same struggle Noah must have faced as he built the ark. Enduring the ridicule of his neighbors, as he labored 120 years, building a wooden monstrosity on dry land, wondering if the rain would ever come.
And Abraham, trudging the long road from Ur to Canaan. The Lord’s simple instructions were to leave his family, friends, and everything he knew, and go to a land God would show him (Genesis 12:1). Like a small child, did he ever whine, “Are we there yet?”
Then there’s Paul, as he walked into a new city, wondering—not if—but when he would be beaten, thrown into jail, and dragged out of town. Then, dusting himself off, he moved on to more of the same, in the next city.
God doesn’t ask any more of us than he has asked of his faithful followers through the centuries. Second Corinthians 5:7 states, “We walk by faith, and not by sight.” At times don’t you wish it was the other way around? We all have doubts. In fact, doubt is an ingredient to faith. If we knew the future, then we’d be walking by sight, not by faith. Walking by faith requires uncertainty. But we trust in God’s certainty. So, “Are we there yet?”
UPDATE ON LINDA: Overall, it’s been a good week for Linda, but she still suffers from healing reactions (AKA detoxing). She has a procedure today (Friday) to drain the fluid from her abdomen. Please pray that it brings her a deeper level of comfort, that she’s able to breathe easier and have an increased appetite.
Principle: Walking by faith requires uncertainty.
Ponder:
When have you experienced a situation where you had to walk by faith, and not by sight?
How did God meet you during that time, and empower you to continue?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study some of Paul’s experiences in Acts 13 & 14.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, trusting you can be challenging at times. But considering the alternative, I wouldn’t want to live any other way. During times of uncertainty, help fix my eyes on you.