November 17
When Everything
Feels Uncertain
"My God will meet all your needs. He will meet them in keeping with his wonderful riches that come to you because you belong to Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:19 (NIrV)
Todd gripped the letter in his hands, his eyes scanning the words over and over. Due to company restructuring, your position will be made redundant at the end of the quarter.
He swallowed hard. He had known this was coming—the rumors had been swirling for months. The factory was downsizing, and corporate had decided to move most of the operations to a bigger city miles away. But knowing it was coming didn’t make it any easier.
That evening at dinner, his wife, Karen, asked gently, “What are we going to do?”
“I don’t know,” Todd muttered, stabbing at his food. His appetite was gone. “Maybe we’ll have to move.”
Karen’s face fell. “But this is our home. The kids have their school, their friends…”
“I said I don’t know!” Todd snapped, slamming his fork down. The children looked up from their plates, their eyes wide.
The weeks dragged on, each one bringing more anxiety than the last. Todd applied for jobs, but nothing paid what he needed. His severance package wouldn’t last forever. Bills piled up, and with them, his frustration grew. He stayed up late, staring at the ceiling, his mind racing. When sleep wouldn’t come, he poured himself a drink. One became two. Then three. At least it numbed the worry, if only for a little while.
One night, after another failed interview, Todd sat at the kitchen table, a bottle in front of him. Karen walked in, her eyes filled with concern. “Todd, this isn’t the way.”
He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “What else am I supposed to do? I’ve worked hard my whole life, and now it’s all slipping away. I don’t know how to fix this.”
Karen sat down beside him and reached for his hand. “Maybe it’s not about fixing it ourselves.”
Todd scoffed. “So what? We just wait for a miracle?”
“No,” she said softly. “We trust that God will provide.”
Todd wanted to argue, but deep down, he knew she was right. He had been carrying this burden alone, shutting out the people who loved him, drowning in fear instead of turning to faith.
That night, for the first time in weeks, Todd prayed. It wasn’t fancy or eloquent. Just a desperate whisper. God, I don’t know what to do. But I need You.
Days later, a call came. It wasn’t the kind of job Todd had expected, but it was steady work—enough to provide for his family. The worry didn’t vanish overnight, but a shift had begun. Instead of gripping his fears tightly, Todd started releasing them to the One who had promised to meet his needs.
Prayer:
Dear Lord,
When life feels uncertain, it’s easy to let fear take over.
But Your Word promises that You will provide.
Help us to trust You, even when we don’t see a way forward.
Give us peace when anxiety creeps in, and remind us that we are never alone in our struggles.
Thank You for being our provider, our comfort, and our hope.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
