TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING:
Read Joshua - Chapter 3
"Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before."
Joshua 3:4a (NIV)
Do you ever fear the unknown? Does the thought of new places or new opportunities scare you? Fearing the unknown can cause us to waste time anticipating worst-case scenarios. There are two problems with this type of fear:
• The future is not here. The present is.
• The future is not ours.
While the future may be out of our hands, it is not out of the hands of our faithful God. When we face a troublesome unknown situation, we can look to Joshua as an example of how to trust God in the face of uncertainty.
It's recorded in the first chapter of Joshua 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 waited for 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, and was with them?
The Lord understands our fear of the unknown. He realizes that you may be in a situation that you've never passed through before and you're nervous - even afraid. It may be the first time you've been without employment. Maybe you've just been diagnosed with an illness or your child is in rebellion. Maybe you’re experiencing some “good” in your life and that makes you nervous because you’ve become so accustomed to bad outcomes finding you. Whatever the road - it’s new. You've never been here 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 surrounding him. Just as God guided the Israelites through unknown territory, He will guide you and me, too.
Lord, 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. In Jesus' Name, Amen.