“In these uncertain times…” Did something happen to change “certain times” to “uncertain”? No, I haven’t been asleep for the last 6 months, but what is the difference between this year and last year? All that has changed is last year, we were certain about the times. The times are not uncertain today but what most put their faith in is uncertain. We are not in uncertain times, we trust in uncertain things.
1 Timothy 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-mined, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. The affluent are tempted by pride in their possessions. They live in “certain times” because their life is relatively stable. Houses are certain. Jobs are certain. March Madness. College Football. Vacations at the beach, family traditions. The “certainty” of the American way of life. God has shown you they are not certain at all.
Advertisements about these “uncertain times” are selling you something other than toilet paper. News outlets are preaching to you when they talk about uncertain times. They want to be the “rock” to keep you on point. Trust in your car insurance company, a big box store, the government, or favorite news channel and they’ll see you through these uncertain times, because when it gets bad, they are the anchor. Thanks, but I’ll pass. We put faith in uncertain things and when they fail, we get troubled. We put our hopes in uncertain people and are disheartened when they can’t deliver. We put our faith in uncertain ways of life, then are distraught when they change. Rather than trust in the uncertain ways of life, we must put our faith in the LIVING God. Malachi 3:6 says, “For I am the LORD, I change not.” The times change. Situations change. But the Living God never changes and the times are sure (Isaiah 46:9-11). By believing our way of life was certain exposes the idolatry of our hearts. It’s the living God, not the dead idol, that is certain and unchanging. It’s the living God who gives us all things to enjoy who never waivers and is faithful to trust, but we have things backwards. We trust in the good things God gives for us to enjoy and ignore the God who gives them.
When you build your life upon uncertain things, you are building your house on sand. In 2020, for a lot of people, the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house and great was the fall (Matthew 7:27). But here is a certainty — Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Turn your heart from your idols and trust in Christ Jesus, who is the Lord of time, and is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Are the times uncertain because of a virus? Job 14:5, "Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass." Our days are numbered by the Living God. That's a certainty. It's also a certainty that our time here is short (Psalm 89:47). The government wants you to be afraid. The news media wants you to be afraid. Then they want you to look to them for guidance and help because of the "uncertain times".
The Bible says, because our times are short, the days are evil, and our Holy Father judges our hearts and works, we should pass our sojourn here in fear. Not the fear of viruses or riots, but the fear of God (1 Peter 1:17-25). The world wants to live forever and fears death. The Bible will tell you the truth. You are going to die, therefore fear the Lord, because He alone can give everlasting life. He gives life through Christ, when in the fullness and certainty of the ordained time, the Lamb of God entered into this world. There there is hope because in the certainty of the times, he "was manifested in these last times for you, who by Him do believe in God." The times are certain. Your times are certain.
We live in stupid times. We live in dishonest times. We live in perilous times (Jeremiah 4:4; 2 Timothy 3:1). But we do not live in uncertain times.
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