Unknown

I have been thinking A LOT about the unknown and the fears that come alone with it. I got called off work today and so I was curled up with the word and a cup of coffee and just prayed that I could get some peace! I got some peace in finally getting things out there out of my head and heart and letting James know what I was thinking and feeling. ANOTHER STEP FORWARD!! I am so proud of myself even if I did have to email him. It did wonders for my heart. But as soon as I hit send, the devil was in my ear... "Now youve done it... he really will think you stupid now." NO NO NO NO I REFUSE TO LISTEN TO YOUR LIES ANYMORE!!!! I have those feelings and I am entitled to them, and I am glad that I was able to express how I feel! SO there heres another black eye for ya :)

But even though I feel much better I still fear the unknown. The uncertainty of my future. The decisions that have to be made, some of which I have no control over. Fearing the unknown can cause us to spend precious energy anticipating the worst-case scenario. There are two problems with this type of fear:

• The future is not here.
• The future is not ours.

God so gently whispered in my ear this morning, while the future may be out of your hands, it is not out of the hands of your faithful trustworthy Father. When I face a worrisome unknown situation, I look to Joshua as an example of how to trust God in the face of uncertainty.

God lead me to the first chapter of Joshua. It tells us that before Moses died, God passed the baton of leadership to Joshua. The Israelites had been wandering in the desert for 40 years under the guidance of Moses. Now, their journey was almost over. Just beyond the Jordan River was their promised land — the land that God had guaranteed to Abraham and his descendants.

Upon reaching the Jordan River, Joshua and the Israelites set up camp by the stream and awaited God’s direction. Much like their meeting with the Red Sea, God had to make a way for them to cross over the river. On the third day, God told the officers to instruct the people that when they saw the Ark of the Covenant (where God’s Presence abided) to follow it because they had “never passed this way before” (Joshua 3:4). In essence, God was saying: Follow Me and I’ll see you through this unknown territory.

That’s not all. The people were instructed on how closely they should follow the ark. Without this instruction, the people would have crowded the ark and God wanted every person to be able to see His presence faithfully leading them through the unknown valley. What greater encouragement could they have than this, that the Lord was their God, a God who was with them?

You see, the Lord understands our fear of the unknown. He realizes that we may be in a situation that we’ve never passed through before and were afraid. You’ve never been down this road before and you don’t know which way to go or what to do. God will guide the way.

Joshua’s life was unpredictable and full of unknowns much like yours and mine. Yet, he successfully resisted fear by keeping his focus on God rather than the events and circumstances surrounding him. Just as God guided the Israelites through unknown territory, He will guide us.

As He promises in Isaiah 43:2 , when we come to a place we’ve never passed through before, God is always present to help us. “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."

Even though the children of Israel were not told how they would pass over the river, the people went forth in faith. We too can move forward in faith sharing in the promised presence of God leading the way through our unknown circumstances.

Father God, thank You for Your promised presence. It comforts my heart to know that I am not alone. Lead me, Lord, through the unknowns in my life. Make Your path clear and I will follow it.