What does it look like to trust God during life's uncertainties? (Matthew 1:18-25)

In every Advent text, pay attention to the unexpectedness of God’s coming, it is unexpected in manner, in time, and in culture. Every Advent text includes people struggling with uncertainty and trying to piece it all together. What we have learned thus far is that there are often no easy answers and sometimes we are not given answers at all. We were told by Jesus that we will not know a lot of things. We were told by Jesus that although he is God who has come to overturn evil, injustice, sin, and death, that sometimes we will find ourselves in situations like John the Baptist, where we are called to endure without the answers we want. Today, we are asking, “How do I trust God while navigating uncertainty?” Our story and text today involve a collision between the Advent themes of unexpectedness, uncertainty, and responding to God with devotion when it makes no earthly sense.

As human beings, and especially Americans shaped by our societal values, we like certainty. We like our plans to be made and we have contingency plans in place if things do not go our way. We have our plans and we have plans for our plants should they not go through. Certainty and control are values by which we live and arrange our lives. We invest in retirement, we purchase health insurance for illness, and life insurance in case we die. These are not bad things, but they show the degree to which we will go to ensure stability. The Western european an dAmerican way of life is built upon being secure, significant, and satisfied.

Further, we have an aversion to commitment because we don't like to be bogged down or let down. You can make a purchase, wear or break the item, and get a full refund or exchange with no questions asked most times. We can drive a car for three days before buying, and we have commodified sex and relationships in teh same ways. We don’t want to be duped or let down or disrupted.

This is bad news for entering Advent because Advent is God’s way of being profoundly honest with us about how things work in the world, what he is up to, and what our role within it might look like if we join him. In this world, you will have trouble, according to Jesus. Even if you live your best life, you will face trouble. No matter what your social media shows, the life behind the screen isn't always what it seems. Walking with God requires trusting him and entrusting our lives into real ways from our relationships, resources, and way of living. The word trust sounds nice until we realize that the very word implies uncertainty and unexpectedness. So, what can we know that will help us entrust ourselves to God?