Like Peter walking confidently on the waves before doubts caused him to sink, we often feel stable and secure when relying on our employment, health, savings, or parental assistance. For a brief while, the ground beneath our feet feels firm. But then, in an instant, it can begin to crumble. The once dependable job is lost. Our health fails. The retirement fund dwindles. Loved ones pass away. Suddenly, our sense of surety dissipates, and panic rises. What will we do when what we’ve always depended on disappears?

In such uncertain times when the world’s promises prove unreliable, we cling to our Heavenly Father’s unwavering P.L.A.N. – a purposeful design to steady us, even as the ground gives way beneath our feet.

Perceive His Sovereignty. When our circumstances rock us, we “perceive” or understand deeply that the Lord remains in control. “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21). We seek His wisdom, for “if any of us lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously” (James 1:5).

Lament Our Condition. Humbly we “lament” our fragile state and acknowledge our need for God’s sustaining grace. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted” (Psalm 34:18). We lay our burdens at His feet, for “He will sustain us; He will never permit the righteous to be shaken” (Psalm 55:22).

Affirm His Promises. We “affirm” or cling tightly to God’s eternal promises, for “the Lord is faithful in all His words” (Psalm 145:13). When the world’s promises crumble, His covenant stands firm: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

Note Christ’s Fulfillment. We “note” or remember that in Christ, we are “heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:29). We have “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Peter 1:4). No earthly loss can remove this eternal inheritance.

Friend, when the ground shakes beneath our feet, we draw strength from our Heavenly Father’s unwavering P.L.A.N. He has purposed to “steadily love us” (Jeremiah 31:3) through every trial and give us “a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). By anchoring our lives in His sovereign wisdom, we’ll find steadiness, even when all else falls away.