Does the unknown scare you? Sometimes the shadows of the future can feel worrisome. As we look to a winter that is a bit unpredictable in regards to the way COVID will affect our lives, I pray we will feel the freedom to step into the unknown. How can we even consider stepping into the unknown? We look to our God and Father that knows all and sees all. Matthew 10:29-31 says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.”
Does this mean that we live recklessly? Definitely not! When tempted to throw Himself down so that the angels will catch Him, Jesus said, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (Matthew 4:7). We are called to live cautiously in the midst of a world pandemic, but we also daily hand the unknown to God who controls all that we see and do.
Years ago, I memorized portions of Psalm 139, and this Psalm has proven to be a great pillar of hope when I look into the unknown. May it be the same to you. I encourage you to look at the whole Psalm in the coming days. Here are a few verses: “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of dawn, if I dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will overwhelm me and the light around me be as night,’ even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day” (Psalm 139:7-12a).
I pray we be reminded of the God that we serve today. In the words of Paul to the men of Athens, “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needs anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things” (Acts 17:24-25). God is not surprised by current events, and we look to Him regardless of the circumstances around us. I pray we would step into the unknown today looking to Jesus for direction and hope.
In Christ,
Nick, Amanda, and Julia Gagnon
