Going and Not Knowing

There are many people who like the predictable. They enjoy the comfort of feeling secure and in control. They see any new venture as risky and scary, and it’s not at all in their agenda.

Christians need to understand that God is full of surprises. Who would have thought a universal flood would have swept everybody away except Noah and his family (Genesis 6-7)? Who ever heard of fire and brimstone falling down from heaven? Yet it happened, and only Lot and his two daughters escaped (Genesis 19:23-25). Or how about Israel coming out of Egypt by signs and wonders, led by an unlikely person names Moses, 80 years old and no leadership experience (Exodus 3-4). Think about the walls of Jericho falling flat (Joshua 6), or the handwriting on the wall which only Daniel could read (Daniel 5).

Were any of these predictable? Hardly. Were any of them surprises? Every one of them. Even when a virgin gave birth to a sinless child, and through His death God’s redemption was brought to mankind, who really knew all the details of what was happening?

You see, God doesn’t reveal all the details of His plans all at once. But little by little, one step at a time, He shows us which way to go.

Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul: "And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there" (Acts 20:22). In other words, Paul didn’t fully know God’s plan, and he had to be willing to risk trusting God anyway.

Whenever you are walking by faith, there will always be that element of surprise, that going and not knowing, that blind trust that God will be there. There may be obstacles to climb over that God didn’t show us at the start. The road we have to travel may be long, crooked, narrow and treacherous, but we know that through it all, God is teaching us how to trust Him.

"By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed: and he went out, not knowing whither he went" Hebrews 11:8. God told Abraham to go to an unsure destination. Without a command from God, Abraham’s move would have been totally irrational. Yet he obeyed God, and ended up becoming a "father of many nations".

God is still surprising people. As you read this article, I’m convinced that God wants to take you beyond where you ever dreamed possible. If the thought of something new makes your palms sweat, and cause you to shake in your boots, then you may think that you cannot be used by God. But if you really want to do God’s will above your own, step on out into the unknown. That’s what faith is all about.