Seems Uncertain
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:8-9
You ever have one of those days where you are just not feeling up to it? Not that anything is wrong, but you feel a bit lost and wish you could go back to when you were a kid with no responsibility whatsoever. Yes, as adults, we know better and keep pushing ourselves through the day. Yet, there is still that nagging feeling about the value of what you are doing at that moment. Does it really matter in the grand scheme of things?
There are times I will feel that way regarding my walk of faith. It is not a question of whether God exists. It becomes a question of how my words and deeds really matter. These are times where we are most likely to question God’s purpose in our life. Our faith is strong in knowing God is there, but our hearts, for lack of better term, are not feeling it.
A great analogy comes from one of my favorite books, The Land Between by Jeff Manion. It is a book about responding to God in seasons of difficult transition, such as a loss of a loved one. It explains what the journey of the Israelites from Egypt to Caanan, also known as the Promised Land, can teach us. To quickly summarize, the journey went for over two years, and you can imagine the level of discontent that might have occurred throughout the journey, causing many to question if God was still with them. Jeff makes this statement to summarize the learning from their journey saying, “The terrain we most despise can produce the fruit we most desperately need.” These are words of comfort when navigating through times where your position with God may seem uncertain.
We can have trust in God’s promises and presence even when we might not be feeling it. One of my favorite biblical verses comes from the book of Joshua. However, my typical use for this is in times where I am afraid of the path ahead of me. In today’s devotion, it is about the uncertainty of the path I am taking. Whereas fear tends to drive the need to be courageous, uncertainty is the question of confidence. Can I do this? Is this what is needed? The preceding verse is where we gain such confidence focusing on God’s word, and in it, we find His love, promises, and wisdom that is instilled within us. It should provide for us guidance that even though we may not feel His presence in the moment, we know “God will be with you wherever you go.”
I was talking with my grandson about the process of preparing to be successful, and we touched on the idea of visualizing success in situations and meditating on positive words of encouragement. Along those lines, when we are unsure of our path, we too can move to visualizing our life with Jesus Christ and the journey getting there. We use scripture to encourage ourselves such as Isaiah 41:10 (NIV), which says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand,” and Philippians 4:13 that says, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Thus, having a strategy to keep us grounded in times of uncertainty is the secret to successfully walking through the desert like the Israelites until finding the land of Milk and Honey.
Having unending love for God requires a combination of things. It requires knowing His truths, believing His promises, and remembering His acts of love. These elements may not always be present in our life, but if we are disciplined in putting them together, they keep His spirit in a place where it never dies. Let us keep this in mind particularly when it feels to be lost. What season in your journey are you in? What strategies do you have in place in case you feel lost or uncertain about God’s direction for your life? My prayer is that we keep centered on who God is when things seem uncertain. Amen.