Being afraid or nervous of the uncertainties of life is pretty common I think.

I hope~otherwise I am an oddball.

There are so many variables that can affect our days, aren’t there?

•weather

•traffic

•other people’s choices
I am currently sitting in a holding pattern…I have zero control over what another person will do, how a second other person will react, and the timeline it all occurs.

It is kind of unsettling.

Many of those kinds of uncertainties that we concern ourselves over aren’t even “big” deals in the scheme of things, are they?

Sometimes, yes, it is life and death issues we face and what we choose in those moments can have a huge impact on the rest of our days.

But, I would say, that the majority of what stresses me out is not a cataclysmic thing where the fate of the world is precariously hanging in the balance…

Now, I am in no way minimalizing our stressors…I cannot because I am currently fighting through something myself that is not cataclysmic but is still worth my time to work through.

What I am doing is trying to gain perspective in the midst of the future uncertainty.

In the past, I would definitely say I have been guilty of trying to micromanage a situation in an attempt to gain control.

Those that know me may chuckle in agreement at that acknowledgement!

I want to state for the record that that is NOT what I am doing here today.

I am recognizing the validity that there are things in our life, the uncertainties of our future, that loom in the coming distance that we are straining our eyes so desperately to see so we know what to do and can prepare ourselves for how we can or will react or respond.

If trying to gain control of that circumstance does not work or is not in my best interest (as I have learned over the years in my effort to perfect that action), then how can I trust God through it and rest in HIS sovereign reign over all things?

We know that’s the key, don’t we?

But knowing and doing are NOT the same thing.

I need to do.

Deuteronomy 32:8 tells us that it is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you . Do not fear or be dismayed.

Ok. That is some good stuff, right?

But, that seems to fall in line with the “knowing” part of our faith ..because we know that truth about God, don’t we?

How can I believe it to the point where my life reflects that knowing?

I have rarely memorized Scripture on purpose. That is probably not a wise thing for a “pastor in training” to admit… but it is what it is and that is my truth.

However, I do have many verses tucked into my heart (aka memory banks) due to frequent reading, rereading, and meditation on them…

I just rarely read a passage and say to myself I should memorize that one.

Until last week that is.

I am rereading through the Psalms and came to chapter 16.

This particular chapter has become quite special to me over the course of the last 2 years for a multitude of reasons…there have been a few of those 11 verses that have stood out and have been highlighted.

Never verse 8 though.

I read it, last week, as if I saw it for the first time.

Isn’t the Living Word awesome for that yet??

Can I get an AMEN?

Psalm 16:8 (from memory 😉)

I have continuously put the Lord before me. Because He is at my right hand I will not be shaken.

So, over a week ago, I committed that verse to memory and repeated it to myself throughout the days.

Good stuff.

Then, Friday, an unforseen battle back into suicidal depression reared its ugly head and that verse, tucked into my memory, flooded my mind to counteract the fear that waged war within me.

The fear may have abated but much certainty remains…and that reality is what unsettles me.

Reading the verse in Deuteronomy today resonated….but when I pair it with what I memorized from Psalm 16 a whole new perspective formed.

I know God is going before me. I know He will not leave me. I know He strengthens me.

How I live my life in that belief has its answer in Psalm 16:8~

I put the Lord before me.

What does that mean?

I stay the course.

I pray.

I read my Bible.

I speak God’s truth to myself.

I hang onto hope.

I keep doing what I was created to do.

I seek wisdom and discernment.

I listen to the quiet voice behind the chaos.

Doing those things is not a magic wand to fix all my problems but they do put the Lord before me.

When He is there, at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

I believe in the promises of the Lord.

I believe I am His beloved.

I believe I am chosen and adopted into His family for His service.

I believe I was created for a purpose.

Knowing what I believe and who I am roots my feet securely even though the storms of life may cause the rest of me to toss and blow.

I will not be shaken.

So, if you are facing uncertainties in your day or in the near- future, I would say these things to you:

Hang on

Press into what you believe

Cling to what you KNOW is true

Put the Lord before you

Be blessed today.