Trusting an Unknown Future to a Known God
by Emily Linke
“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” Psalm 139:13-16
Something I have struggled with all of my life is fear. From when I was a child I was always afraid something bad would happen to my family. When I was a teenager I was afraid that I would not be good enough at sports or smart enough in school or liked enough to be popular. During college I was afraid that I was choosing the wrong major, would not end up married, or with a good job, or that I would not be able to pass my classes. Now as a mom of four kids I find myself in fear about their futures, afraid that something bad might happen to my kids, or afraid that something might happen to me, and then I would not be able to take care of them.
You get the picture - always living with a pit of fear in my stomach. What I know is true and something that I need to constantly remind myself of is that God is in control of everything, and that he never makes mistakes. This is what I am constantly reminding myself of and I always come back to Psalms 139 when I feel fear creeping in my life. Because the truth is that I fear the future when I am not trusting God, and the Bible is clear that not trusting God is sin.
The first time I really remember reading Psalm 139 and having it truly sink into my heart I had just finished my freshman year of college, and I was spending the summer at Mount Hermon in Santa Cruz as a camp counselor. Through a rollercoaster of events - my ex boyfriend at the time (now husband) had called me to let me know he was dating someone new and that it was serious. I was still in love with him, and living in a brand new state without any friends, family or support system. I remember clinging to this verse and resting in the fact that God knew exactly what was going on and that He is good.
When I was talking to Amy Potts about my fear of end times happening and the tribulation and suffering that my kids may need to go through she told me very clearly, “Em, if that is what God has planned for you or your kids, he is already preparing you for it and will walk with you through it”. I think of that often too. It is so important to be vulnerable about our struggles and share them with people who are loving God and cheering us on.
Corrie Ten Boom, an amazing Holocaust survivor, has a famous quote, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God”. I think this sums up Psalm 139 in an amazing way.
Reflect: In Tim Kellers Book “The Songs of Jesus” he says, “God is omnipotent. This should be a vast comfort to us. No matter what the future holds, God is in control with a power greater than death. The Psalmist says God will never let go of our hand no matter how dark it gets”.
Think of some fears that you have. Write them down and take a minute and pray - just talking to God about them. Ask him to help you trust Him with every detail of your life. Share these fears with a trusted friend our leader and ask for them to pray with you.
Memorize: Psalm 139:13-14