Remaining Surefooted in Unsettled Times

If there is something the world is missing right now, it’s surefootedness. The days seem to be missing the steady, solid, sure steps that normally move us forward into the coming days, weeks and months.

Even as I type this, things are shifting, changing and developing across the world in unbelievable ways. Who could have imagined the incredible scenes playing out in our neighborhoods, cities and countries?

Unsettled and unknown, we are waking each day to news that we don’t know how to fully process. Travel restrictions, quarantines, cancelations, sickness, and death tolls climb to heart-breaking levels that make us shake and question our place, our mission, our safety.

A few mornings ago, over coffee, I quietly told my husband that one of my overseas life goals was NOT to ride out a pandemic in a developing country. This was not in the plan. This wasn’t even a thought in my brain as we packed our family up to move and work in West Africa.

I knew we’d face sickness, disease, and challenges but this… this is covering the globe and overwhelming the most surefooted among us.

What does it look like for those of us in countries with little to no medical care? What does this mean if the countries we travel to for medical help are closed to us? What happens if we are placed in quarantine or not allowed to travel? What happens in our heart when we hear that the airport is closed? How do we talk to our kids about the suffering and pain around us? How do we support churches, pastors and other workers while not being allowed to meet together?

Again, so much is unsettled and unknown. Surefootedness seems far, far away.

Yet, as women of faith, we do have one thing that remains, one thing that is firm, sound, unmoving and unchanging.

We have one thing that holds us strong, keeping our feet sure on the paths set before us.

Friends, we have a loving, gracious, merciful Father in heaven who is surefooted in every single way, on every single day.

This promise was deeply planted in my heart recently as I was helping my youngest daughter with her memory verse for Bible class. She was telling me how funny she thought the verse was as she acted out the picture of having feet like a deer. She kicked her feet and memorized, while for me the verse came alive in a new way.

As she danced across the room quoting her verse, the precious words reminded me of God’s promise that not only is He surefooted, but He enables us to be surefooted as well.

Habakkuk 3:17-19 says, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”

No matter what happens around us.

Though the pandemic moves across the globe, though supplies are limited and travel is restricted, though we don’t know what this virus will do or how many it will effect, yet we will rejoice.

Though we hunker down in our homes, though our children are out of school, though our ministries are unable to meet in person, though we don’t always have accurate news or updated information, yet we will rejoice.

God is our strength. He is sovereign over all, even over this pandemic. He’s still on the throne, still watching over his people, still making our feet stand strong in the places he has called us to be for such a time as this.

He is enabling us to remain, steadfast and surefooted. He is enabling us to be light and joy in dark places. He is enabling us to be hope and health to the people around us.

He is speaking, guiding and helping us as we make hard decisions in these unsettled and unknown days.

He is giving us grace for those in leadership, for those in our organizations, for those who like us, have never seen times like these.

We can be surefooted because he is doing all of these things, fulfilling his promises to us in these concrete, sure ways.

Though we might not have access to medical care, though we might be in a country away from our families, though we can’t do enough to help those who are suffering, though we wrestle through the feelings and emotions pounding us night and day… even then, we will rejoice in our Sovereign Lord.

Whatever list of “thoughs” are running through your mind, whatever unsettled and unknown decisions are facing you today, however much surefootedness is missing from your world, this verse encourages us to choose joy.

As women of faith in these uncertain times, we will rejoice. We will hold onto these promises and allow God to enable us to tread on the heights with surefooted steps.

How is surefootedness missing from your world right now? What things are changing and moving that are making you feel unsettled and uncertain?

What is on your list of “thoughs”? How does this verse help you and encourage you through that list?