Abiding Through Anxiety and Uncertainty
Anxiety keeps me up at night. Tears usually follow. When I am overcome by feelings of fear and uncertainty, I find that sleep rarely comes easily. Instead, I lay awake with thoughts that run away. In those moments of worry, stress, and pain I know I need to abide in Christ especially.
But.
My faith feels weak. I don’t know where God is, and I wonder if He truly does love me or wants me to abide in Him. Yes, I have wondered, in the middle of the night, in the middle of my heartache, and in the middle of messing up – Does God really want me to abide in him when I’m such a mess!?
The answer is of course yes! Jesus invited His disciples to “abide in Me” right before He knew they would scatter once He was arrested. They all would be fearful, anxious, and full of doubts those three days Jesus laid in the tomb. Yes, Jesus said: “Abide in Me.”
Times of anxiety and uncertainty are the perfect times to abide in Christ.
It is during those dark nights of the soul that I’ve seen God’s light the brightest.
When life didn’t turn out the way I planned, God was with me in the heartache. Christ’s offer to dwell with us, abide with us, and make His home with us is actually the only way to experience lasting peace in the middle of worry.
Just a few moments earlier in John 14:27, Jesus says this:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27, ESV)
The peace Jesus offers isn’t dependent on peaceful circumstances. It comes from His presence. When we abide in Christ, we remain close to the One who is our peace. His nearness steadies our hearts when everything around us feels uncertain.
Psalm 46 paints this picture beautifully. The psalm begins with earthquakes, roaring waters, and mountains shaking—images of a world turned upside down. Yet in the middle of the chaos, the psalmist declares,
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
God’s presence doesn’t remove every storm, but it gives us stability within the storm.
4 Truths About Abiding Through Anxiety and Uncertainty
As we abide in Christ, Psalm 46 reminds us of four truths that anchor our hearts in peace:
1. Remember that God is your refuge (Psalm 46:1–3)
Fear loses its grip when we remember where we run. Our security isn’t found in predictable circumstances but in God’s unchanging character.
2. Rejoice that God is near (Psalm 46:4–7)
“The Lord of Armies is with us.” Even when we feel alone, God has not abandoned us. His presence is our greatest comfort.
3. Rest in God’s sovereign power (Psalm 46:8–10)
Instead of striving to control every outcome, God invites us to be still before Him. Abiding often looks like surrendering our need to fix everything and trusting that He is already at work.
4. Rely on God’s unchanging promises (Psalm 46:11)
The psalm ends the same way it began: “The Lord of Armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.” God’s faithfulness is the foundation beneath our feet when everything else feels shaky.
Peace isn’t something we manufacture by trying harder. It is the fruit of remaining close to Jesus. The more we abide in Christ, the more we discover that His presence is enough—even when life feels uncertain.
Listen to the Psalms to Help You Sleep podcast, episode Psalm 46 together. If you’ve been carrying anxiety, facing uncertainty, or simply longing to experience God’s peace in a deeper way, I hope you’ll join me. Together we’ll discover that abiding in Christ doesn’t remove every storm, but it anchors us to the One who is stronger than them all.
“There is a river whose streams delight the city of God… God is within her; she will not be shaken.”
John 14 is about Christ dwelling with us, and Psalm 46 is about God being in the midst of His people. Our peace comes from God’s presence, not the absence of trouble.
