October 13, 2026

Unexpected News

Psalm 31:14-15 – “But I trust in you, LORD; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands.”

The phone rang late in the afternoon, and the man stepped into the hallway to answer it. The voice on the other end was steady but quiet. The test results had come back, and his father had colon cancer. He leaned against the wall and stared at the carpet as the details came through. Only after he hung up did he begin to see the morning in a new light. The verse he had read before work spoke of God’s faithfulness in trouble, and a friend had called at lunch and prayed with him. Neither had seemed significant at the time.

God knows what His children will face long before they do, and His provision is never late. On the way up Mount Moriah, Isaac asked his father where the lamb was, and Abraham answered that God Himself would provide. Abraham could not yet see the answer. At the very moment the angel stopped his hand, he looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. He named that place “The LORD Will Provide,” because God had met the need right on time.

David knew what it meant to face an uncertain future. In the middle of distress, he declared his trust in the Lord and said, “My times are in your hands.” His circumstances stayed uncertain, yet he knew exactly who held them.

Hard news rarely arrives on schedule. A phone call or a doctor’s report can change everything in a single afternoon, and no one can predict what tomorrow will bring. The same God who prepared the morning already holds every tomorrow, and He will not leave His children to face any of them alone.

Today’s Prayer: Lord, when unexpected news comes, help me rest in the truth that my times are in Your hands. Amen.

Reflection Question: How has God prepared you in the past for news you never saw coming?