Fast from Certainty
by Jeff Keifer
Day 1:
Letting Go of Certainty
There was a time when I believed I had mapped out every step for my future. My plans were neatly laid out, each detail accounted for, and I felt confident that everything was falling into place. Then, like a sudden storm rolling in on a clear day, everything changed. Plans unraveled, doors closed, and I was left standing in the middle of uncertainty, grasping for answers that wouldn't come. I pleaded with God for clarity, for direction—anything to anchor me amidst the chaos. But the more I searched for sureness, the more elusive it became. It was in that stillness, in the quiet surrender, that I discovered something unexpected: an invitation. Not to figure everything out, but to let go—to step into the unknown with trust, and to find peace in the mystery of His presence.
As we continue this journey through Lent, this week invites us to release our grip on black and white thinking and step into the unknown. We live in a world that craves answers—where ambiguity is often met with discomfort. But what if certainty isn’t the goal? What if curiosity is the antidote to our desperate need for control?
Here is the truth, Curiosity softens our craving for certainty.
Think about the last time you faced an uncertain situation—waiting on a test result, anticipating a job decision, or simply not knowing what the future held. That tension, that longing for clarity, can be unsettling. Yet, as we explore in our fast this week, the spiritual journey is not about controlling outcomes but about learning to trust in the mystery of God and His work.
Throughout Scripture, we see that God often calls His people into places of uncertainty, reminding us that faith is not about having all the answers but about trusting Him in the unknown. Abraham was called to leave his homeland without knowing where he was going. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness, sustained only by daily manna. The disciples followed Jesus without a clear understanding of where He was leading them, often bewildered by His teachings, yet they chose to trust and follow Him in faith.
Take a few moments to reflect on the questions stirring inside you as you navigate the unknown.
How has this journey impacted your ability to sit with vagueness rather than forcing answers?
What images of God are most familiar to you? How do these images shape the way you handle uncertainty and times of feeling disconnected?
How comfortable are you with mystery in your faith? What feelings arise when you consider letting go of needing all the answers?
Have you ever experienced beauty in uncertainty or transition? What questions are surfacing in your heart as you step into the unknown?
Practice:
Find a quiet space, light a candle if you choose, and sit in silence for a few moments. Imagine the warmth of the flame flickering softly, casting gentle shadows across the room. Feel the stillness settle around you, like the hush of early morning before the world awakens. Take a deep breath, letting the air fill your lungs, and as you exhale, release any need to have all the answers. This is a space for simply being—with God, with yourself, with the unknown. Imagine yourself holding onto something tightly—an expectation, a worry, a belief you’ve clung to. Now, in prayer, imagine releasing it into God’s hands. What does it feel like to let go?
For Reflection:
Take a few moments to journal about your experiences this week. What thoughts or emotions have emerge as you step into uncertainty? How is God meeting you in the unknown?
Day 2:
Embracing the Mystery
Have you ever stared at the night sky, overwhelmed by its vastness? Or walked along a shoreline, feeling small in the face of an endless ocean? There is something deeply humbling about encountering the unknown. The Christian journey is one of mystery—learning to trust in what we cannot fully see.
Dallas Willard once said, "We don't believe something by merely saying we believe it, or even when we believe that we believe it. We believe something when we act as if it were true."
This challenges us to examine our faith and ask ourselves, are we clinging to certainty, or are we willing to trust in the unknown? What if, instead of striving for every answer, we allowed ourselves to rest in God’s presence, trusting that He is at work even when we cannot see the full picture?
For Reflection:
Have you ever felt stuck between loss and hope? What has that season taught you about letting go of control?
What images or moments in your life remind you of the beauty of uncertainty? How can you lean into them instead of resisting?
Take a short walk today, paying attention to nature’s mysteries. Consider how God might be inviting you to embrace uncertainty in a new way.—the changing seasons, the movement of the wind, the way light filters through the trees. Let these simple wonders remind you that not everything needs to be understood to be beautiful.
Find a quiet moment today to write about a time when you felt uncertain about the future. How did you respond? What did you learn in that season of mystery?
Day 3:
Holy Waiting
Holy Saturday is one of the most profound moments in the Christian calendar—the space between death and resurrection, between sorrow and joy, between what was and what will be. It is a day of tension, a time of uncertainty where hope and grief coexist.
The waiting can feel unbearable, yet it is in this waiting that transformation takes root.
Think about a time when you were waiting for something deeply important—a medical diagnosis, a job offer, a phone call that could change everything. The uncertainty can feel overwhelming, but it is in these moments that we are invited to trust in something greater than ourselves. The disciples, too, sat in that waiting, unsure of what would come next. Holy Saturday reminds us that even in the silence, God is still moving. It is a day of waiting, a space of unknowing.
Waiting is hard. It asks us to relinquish control, to sit in the discomfort of not knowing. We want results, solutions, and clarity, but the waiting period often becomes a place of deep spiritual formation. God often does His deepest work in the waiting. When Jesus was placed in the tomb, the disciples had no assurance of resurrection. They sat in their grief, in their confusion. And yet, in that place of not-knowing, God was at work.
- How has waiting shaped your faith? Have you experienced moments where waiting felt like a burden but later revealed itself as a blessing?
- What does it feel like to sit in uncertainty? How has this week helped you shift from resisting waiting to embracing it?
Practice:
Find a comfortable place to sit quietly. Take a deep breath and slowly exhale. Imagine yourself alongside the disciples, waiting without detailed direction. Set a timer for five minutes and sit in silence with God. If your mind starts racing with thoughts, gently return to the phrase: "I trust in Your timing." Allow yourself to simply be present in the waiting, trusting that God is at work even in the unknown. Allow yourself to simply be present in the waiting.
Waiting Jar Practice:
Find a small jar, box, or envelope, along with a few slips of paper. Spend a few quiet moments reflecting on areas of your life where you feel uncertainty—prayers that feel unanswered, hopes that remain unfulfilled, or situations where you long for clarity. Write each one down on a slip of paper and place it in the jar. As you do, offer a simple prayer of surrender, entrusting each unknown to God.
Throughout the week, return to the jar whenever you feel anxious about the waiting. Hold it in your hands as a reminder that God is holding these things for you. In time, you may find that some uncertainties have resolved, while others invite you into deeper trust. How did you respond? What did you learn in that season of mystery?
This week, may you rest in the unknown, find beauty in the mystery, and embrace the deep trust that God is with you in every unanswered question.
Closing Blessing
God of all things—seen and unseen—be with us in our longing for certainty, in our struggle to surrender, and in our desire to trust You fully.Jesus, You walked the road of uncertainty, from the garden of Gethsemane to the silence of the tomb. You surrendered fully to the Father's will, trusting in His perfect plan. Teach us to walk in Your way, to release our need for control, and to rest in the sufficiency of Your grace.Sit with us in the quiet moments of doubt, reminding us that our hope is not in what we see but in the One who conquered death. Hold us in the tension of waiting, and let us find peace not in having answers, but in knowing You are enough.Remind us that resurrection follows surrender, that new life is born from trusting in Your promises. Let our waiting be a witness to Your faithfulness, and our uncertainty be a space where Your love meets us in abundance.Sustain us in the times when not knowing is painful, fearful, anguished.Abide with us in the sacred space of mystery, whispering words of life, grace, and assurance. May we surrender our fears, embrace Your presence, and walk forward with courage, knowing that even in the unknown, You are with us. Amen.