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Devotional

Resting in Uncertainty

by JODIE PINE REST Children with special needs Health issues on the field
Resting in Uncertainty
"This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.’"
Isaiah 30:15

Our reality was uncertain as we watched the nurses wheel our precious 14 year old through the operating doors for his third brain surgery in four days.


We wanted to put our full trust in our son’s neurosurgeon, but he admitted to us that he didn't know what was going on with our son's brain.


In those hours of unrest, God invited me to find peace, not through confidence in the doctor's skill, but through quiet surrender in the hospital chapel. There, I discovered a handout that spoke directly to me, titled “Jesus, Your Shepherd, Leads You” by Richard Aplingtom. It read:


“I am very much aware of the trials that you face, of each of your difficult moments. They have come about with my permission. Do you know that it is through these very trials that I hope to strengthen you? With your human eyes you can see only what seem to be impossible tasks, things beyond your power, hopeless dilemmas. 


But there is hope... 


(Jesus) is the Good Shepherd who will lead you, my sheep, to green pastures. In dark storms he will shelter you in a safe place. In the dry desolate wasteland he will lead you to springs of life-giving waters. Never, not for a moment, will he leave you alone, untended. 


If you get caught in a snare, he will gently untangle you. If you are tired, weary, distressed, or afraid, he will hold you close to his bosom. If you have fallen and hurt yourself, he will lift you gently to his shoulders and carry you. He will be your peace.”


When the doctor then shared his post-surgery report with us, I felt prepared to hear the terrible word “tumor.” But when we received the diagnosis/prognosis from the oncologist 10 days later, I felt grateful to hear “very treatable” describe our son's specific type of brain cancer. 


And now, during the rough days of chemo, I'm seeking strength by repenting from worry. I'm finding rest, quietness, and trust not in treatment plans or statistics but in our great Shepherd and Healer. It is through Him that we are saved.


Closing Prayer
God, we know that you see us. And we know that you care. Your love for each of your children is far greater than we could ever imagine. We ask for your help as we grow in trusting you with our lives and with the lives of our loved ones. Keep us from traveling down the thorny path of worry. We choose to place the future, with all of its uncertainties, in your strong and more-than-capable hands. Amen.
Question for Reflection

Where are you tempted to turn when a crisis hits?

Comments
Jodie Pine
January 08, 2021

I've realized that one of the first things I tend to do in the midst of a crisis is to turn to others. There's both a desire to have my pain validated and to have others praying for me. When I don't feel strong in my own faith or that my prayers by themselves are enough to tap into God's resources, there's comfort in knowing I'm part of the Body and others' prayers can carry me (like the paralyzed man whose friends lowered him through the roof to get to Jesus). But I also know God desires for me to trust Him to be enough and to turn to Him first instead of immediately thinking of who I can call or wording a prayer letter in my mind.