Before the Answer Came
Psalm 56:3 — But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.
The waiting was the hardest part.
That’s what Kristine told us when she called the radio station.
A year earlier, she’d been diagnosed with breast cancer.
And now, here she was again.
Sitting in a doctor’s office because she’d had a cough that just wouldn’t go away.
A whole month of coughing.
And if you’ve ever walked through a cancer diagnosis, you know how quickly your mind can go to the worst possible place.
What if it’s back?
What if it’s in my lungs?
What if I have to go through all of this again?
The doctor ordered an X-ray.
And then came those words nobody likes to hear.
We’ll call you with the results.
So Kristine walked out to her car.
She climbed inside, closed the door, and sat there.
Waiting.
Bracing herself for a phone call that could change everything.
You know those moments, don’t you?
When your mind is racing, your heart is pounding, and you can’t do a single thing to make the answer come any faster.
You just have to wait.
And sometimes, waiting can feel like the loneliest place in the world.
But Kristine wasn’t alone.
As she sat there in her car, the radio was playing.
And then she heard Lauren Daigle singing “You Say.”
No, wait. It was another song.
“Be Okay.”
And as she listened to those words of reassurance, the tears began to fall.
She told us later that in that moment, the song felt like more than music.
It felt like God was gently reminding her of something she’d almost forgotten in the middle of her fear.
I’m still here.
Not I promise the test will come back clear.
Not You’ll never have to face another difficult diagnosis.
Just a reminder that whatever that phone call brought, she would not be facing it alone.
About twenty minutes later, her phone rang.
It was the doctor’s office.
There was no sign of cancer.
Can you imagine the relief?
After all that fear, all those terrible possibilities running through her mind, she finally had an answer.
And it was good news.
But when Kristine called to tell us her story, there was something else she wanted us to understand.
Something that mattered even before the results came back.
God had been there the whole time.
He was there in the doctor’s office.
He was there when she walked to her car.
He was there when she sat behind the steering wheel, afraid of what the next phone call might bring.
And He was there during those twenty long minutes when she didn’t know what was coming next.
I think that’s what makes Psalm 56:3 so powerful.
David wrote, “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.”
Did you notice what he didn’t say?
He didn’t say, When everything works out, I’ll trust You.
Or When I finally get the answer I want, I’ll trust You.
He said, “When I am afraid.”
Right there.
In the middle of the uncertainty.
Before he knew how things would turn out.
That’s when he chose to trust God.
And friend, maybe that’s where you are today.
Maybe you’re waiting for test results.
Maybe you’re waiting for a phone call, a job opportunity, an answer about your marriage, or news about someone you love.
Maybe your mind has already imagined a hundred different endings, and most of them aren’t good.
I wish I could tell you that every phone call will bring the news you’re hoping for.
I can’t.
Sometimes the answer is wonderful.
Sometimes it’s heartbreaking.
And sometimes the waiting lasts a whole lot longer than twenty minutes.
But here’s what I can tell you.
God doesn’t wait for the answer to arrive before He shows up.
He’s with you while you’re waiting.
While you’re wondering.
While you’re trying to hold yourself together.
And even when you’re too afraid to know what to pray.
You don’t have to have the next twenty minutes figured out.
You don’t have to know how the story ends.
You can simply take the next breath, bring your fear to God, and remember that He is there.
Because sometimes the greatest comfort isn’t knowing what’s going to happen.
It’s knowing Who is with you before it does.
So if you’re waiting on an answer today, let me leave you with the words David prayed.
“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.”
Not after the answer comes.
Not when the fear finally disappears.
Right now.
Because God is already there.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
- What are you waiting on right now that’s creating fear or uncertainty in your life?
- When you’re waiting for an answer, does your mind tend to imagine the worst? What helps you bring those thoughts back to God?
- Have you ever experienced God’s comfort before a difficult situation was resolved?
- How does it change your perspective to know that God’s presence isn’t dependent on receiving the outcome you hoped for?
- What would it look like to trust God with just the next twenty minutes instead of trying to figure out the entire future?
QUESTION TO CARRY WITH YOU TODAY
Can I trust that God is with me right now, even before I know how this story ends?
L Y R I C S
You’re gonna be okay
You’re, you’re gonna be okay
Oh, the sun will keep on risin’ in that old familiar way
And every little thing is gonna be okay
You’re gonna be alright
Darlin’, you’re, you’re gonna be alright
‘Cause the stars’ll keep on shinin’ through the darkest night
And you can know you’re gonna be alright
Lift your eyes to the hills
Remember where your help comes from
Lift your eyes to the hills
You’ll never face a valley alone
‘Cause even when your heart is breakin’
And you’ve gone and lost your way
You’re, you’re gonna be okay
You’re gonna be okay
I know that you’re, you’re gonna be okay
Not a care in this whole world can take that truth away
You’re, you’re gonna be okay
You’re gonna be alright
Darlin’, you’re, you’re gonna be alright
At the end of all our breath, when we’re beckoned on to the light
Love’ll meet you there, you’re gonna be alright
Oh, the end of all our breath is the beginning of new life
You’re, you’re gonna be alright
Songwriters: Ellie Holcomb / Lauren Ashley Daigle
