Faith in Uncertainty - A Deeper Dive
Message Recap
What if we get it wrong? What happens if we try to discern the will of the Holy Spirit through prayer and reading scripture, and we still can’t figure out what path we should follow? Over the last several weeks, we’ve discussed at length that we demonstrate the love of Jesus by following his commands. The Holy Spirit has been given to us to lead and guide us. But we all have experienced times when we weren’t sure if we were on the right path.
This week’s scripture, Matthew 2:13-23, draws from the end of the Christmas story. We pick up at the point where the Magi have left Jesus, Joseph, and Mary. They are taking a different route after being warned not to return to Herod. This portion of the story has so much drama and intrigue. There is loss, danger, murder, movement from place to place, and fear. Above all, there is uncertainty in the decisions that must be made.
Throughout this scripture, we see God actively involved. He is guiding and communicating directly with the people. There are three points in this passage where God gives a direct message: First, he tells the Magi to avoid Herod by traveling home using a different route. Second, he tells Joseph to take the child and his mother to Egypt to escape Herod’s plan to kill Jesus. Finally, at the end of the story, God tells Joseph to take the child and his mother to Israel since those planning to kill Jesus were all dead. And while God delivered these messages through angels and in dreams, there is no mistaking they were from God. Wouldn’t it be nice if God used the same direct approach to tell us what to do?
God is still speaking to his people today, but it’s different. The author of the Book of Hebrews writes:
“1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.”
In Old Testament times, God spoke through the prophets, kings, angels, the wind, and even a burning bush. Regardless of the medium, God’s messages to the people were clear and direct. Then Jesus came in human form and preached and taught. Sometimes he met with his followers one-on-one and other times he spoke to groups of thousands. But, in every instance, Jesus delivered his messages face-to-face. Then came the Holy Spirit, who resides in every believer. While the Holy Spirit is always with us, the message and guidance is not always clear. The noise and distractions of the world often make it difficult to hear exactly what the Spirit is telling us to do.
Fortunately, the words and teachings of the Father and the Son are available to us through scripture, and we can go to them anytime we need to. Scripture guides us on how to live out a life of faith. It gives us insight into the nature and character of God. Unfortunately, scripture alone does not always answer our situational questions. The Magi and Joseph had the benefit of receiving God’s instructions directly from angels sent from God. They didn’t have to rely on reading scripture. While we have the Holy Spirit to help us, it is not always easy to discern the message God is trying to send us.
When faced with a life-altering decision, we want some kind of assurance that we’re making the right choice. Scripture alone can certainly help us choose between right and wrong, but what about the more complicated decisions? Should I change jobs and move my family to another place? Is this the right college to attend? These decisions are not necessarily between good and bad, but rather choices of good, better, and best. We want to know that our decisions are right before the outcome, but that often isn’t possible. That’s where faith comes into play.
Faith is trusting that God loves us no matter what decision we make. Not that God loves us based on the outcome of the choice, but that God will continue to love us even if things don’t work out the way we hoped. Deep faith in God’s continual love takes the pressure off us as we make difficult decisions. It’s a trust that even if the outcome doesn’t meet our expectations, God loves us just the same. Through the prophet Isaiah, God told his people, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” (Isaiah 43:18 NIV) We can leave behind the failures and missteps of the past because God has promised to love us always.
When we put our faith in God and make decisions based on the information we have, God often shows up in ways we never expect. The paths God lays out before us sometimes end up in places we never imagined. Having faith in God means we give control of the eventual outcome to God and set aside our expectations of how things will turn out.
Do we truly believe that God will always lead us to where we should be? Do we have confidence that through God, all things are possible? In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul reminds us to make the most of every opportunity (see Ephesians 5:16). With God’s guidance, we can do good things. We should not fear making the decision placed in front of us. We can have confidence in our decisions when we actively pray, read scripture, and reach out to the Holy Spirit for guidance. Regardless of the outcome, God will always love us.
Having Faith is hard
Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus constantly taught his followers about the importance of faith. Even his disciples, the twelve Jesus had personally chosen, needed reminding that faith in God was essential. Consider the story found in the Gospel of Matthew of the possessed boy (see Matthew 17:14-20). The disciples had tried to heal the boy but failed. Ultimately the boy’s father brought the child to Jesus, who cast out the demon. When the disciples asked why they could not heal the boy, Jesus said, “Because you have so little faith.” Jesus goes on to say:
“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Why do we find it so hard to rely on faith in God when we take action? One reason may be our obsession with the possible negative outcome. We hate being wrong. We don’t like to admit that we made a poor choice. We often equate being wrong with being a failure. Yet, we see time and again cases where God turns a poor outcome into something good. More importantly, even when we make a decision that causes us to fall short, God picks us up and loves us as though it never happened.
We can also find it difficult to have faith because we don’t believe we deserve good things. We have allowed pessimism and cynicism to block the hope we receive from a faith-filled relationship with God. All too often, we see the glass as half-empty and call it being realistic. We’ve allowed the world to convince us that all is lost, and there is only suffering, sorrow, and hate. Yet, Jesus assured his disciples that faith can move mountains.
It is not making the decision that is difficult. It’s having the faith and confidence to allow things to happen, especially when the outcome does not meet our expectations. Faith is hope in the face of despair; it is love in the face of hatred; peace in the face of violence; beauty in the face of ugliness; justice in the face of injustice; courage in the face of fear. Couldn’t God make it easier for us to make difficult decisions and have faith in the outcome? Of course he could. But, we should be thankful that he chooses instead to help us find blessings in the work.