Today marks ten weeks since I sent off the paperwork for my visa. I believe God has brought me to Ireland and told me to settle (for the foreseeable future, at least). I know He can give favor, and I’m not terribly concerned about the outcome of my application to extend my visa. However, I must admit waiting for an answer is beginning to wear on me a bit.

Uncertainty is not a pleasant companion, and yet it seems to be a constant one. My visa is only one of several uncertainties I am currently acquainted with. Promises God has spoken about life and ministry opportunities float around my heart and mind awaiting their outcomes. Some unknowns seem rather trivial; for instance, I spent a number of weeks wondering whether I would spend Christmas home alone or not – important, yes, but not likely a life-altering outcome. Other uncertainties (e.g. visa outcomes) seem to hang overhead like a weight that could come crashing down at any moment and change life forever.

As I was thinking about this over the weekend, I realized uncertainty is not only a constant part of life, it is also necessary. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6 that it’s impossible to please God without faith. In order for faith to exist, uncertainty must also exist. If everything was definite and spelled out for us, there would be no need for faith or trust.

There are promises God has spoken, and they may take years to be fulfilled. In some cases, the ones the promises were spoken to never got to see the fulfillment. It is the faith in the midst of the uncertainties and the hope held onto when all seems lost which pleases God and brings a flicker of light and hope to others trapped in their own darkness.

Generations of people in Israel had been waiting for the fulfillment of the promises God had spoken through the prophets, promises of a coming King who would establish His kingdom of peace and justice. Hundreds of years had passed in the waiting, and hope must have been difficult to hold onto in the midst of doubt.

In Galatians 4:4 (ESV), it says, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son…” God knew the right timing to send Jesus into the world. He knew each of the factors that would contribute to the message of Christ spreading throughout the world.

Whatever it is we’re waiting for, God knows the factors that will bring about His best for His glory and our good. He knows when the fullness of time has come in each of our circumstances. Waiting and uncertainty aren’t fun, but they will bring us closer to Him as we trust Him. As Corrie Ten Boom said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”