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For Christians who have been taught that having faith in Jesus means being certain, times of uncertainty can feel like a spiritual problem to solve, rather than a spiritual opportunity to embrace. However, the Bible shows us that God’s people have often lived in deep uncertainty. Adam and Eve left the garden for an unknown future beyond. Sarah laughed to hear she would have a child in her old age. Moses questioned his call before leading God’s people out of slavery in Egypt – only to face forty years of uncertain wandering in the desert.

When Israel’s kingdom and temple crumbled, prophets like Isaiah consoled the exiles in Babylon who did not know whether they would ever return to their homeland. Jesus and his disciples lived under an empire’s rule, knowing that the status quo could change at any time. Early Christians shared the Gospel and built churches without any certainty about what would become of this new faith.

If our ancestors in faith lived and trusted God while remaining in uncertainty, so can we.

This message is excerpted from the Bible study “After certainty” by Meghan Johnston Aelabouni in the May/June 2024 Gather magazine. Today we commemorate John Calvin, renewer of the church, 1564.