Facing the unknown

Happy New Year all!

I can’t believe another year has come and gone. And as always, when it comes to the future, we’re always facing the unknown. We just don’t know what things we’ll face this year. That can be exciting. Or it can be scary.

That’s what the Israelites faced as they were about to cross the Jordan into the land God had promised to give to them.

They were probably excited to finally arrive. But there was probably some, if not fear, then trepidation.

And so Joshua told them,

When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it.

Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. (Joshua 3:3–4)

He then told the people,

“Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.” (5)

The ark of the covenant was a symbol of God’s presence. The Israelites didn’t know where to go or what to do. But God did, and so he told the people to follow him.

In the same way, God is with us. And as we face decisions in our lives, we also don’t know what decisions are best or what we should do. But God does, and so he calls us to follow his leading.

He also told the Israelites to consecrate themselves. The word consecrate basically means to set yourself apart for something or someone.

In this case, God told the people to set themselves apart for him. And as they made him Lord in their lives, he promised to do amazing things among them.

He says the same thing to us. To set apart our lives for him. To remember that we are not our own. That we belong to him, because Jesus bought us with his blood. And as we give our lives to him, he will do awesome things in our lives.

But there was one more thing that God told them to do.

After God had stopped the river so that the Israelites could cross on dry land, he told them to take 12 stones out of the riverbed and place them in a pile on the land.

And he told them that whenever their children asked about those rocks, to tell them what God had done for them that day.

In the same way, as God brings us through trials in our lives, it’s good to make records of what he did.

It could be in a diary. It could be in a blog.

But make a record of what happened, so that when you face the unknown again, you’ll know that the same God who brought you through your problems the last time will do so again.

How are you facing the unknowns of the coming year?

With fear?

Or with faith?