Morning Devotional

January 6, 2004

"Into the Unknown" 

by Don Emmitte

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Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires. Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you. (Psalm 37:3-5 NLT)

Ron Hutchcraft tells a story about “mystery trips” with his children. He writes: “When our kids were growing up, we tried to take advantage of Sunday afternoons for some special family time. Like a ride to the country or to some other neat spot in New Jersey or Pennsylvania. Since I like surprises, I would tell the kids we were going on a mystery trip. That was good enough for Lisa and Brad – but not Doug. No, he was the one who always had to have all the information before he decided how he felt about an idea. I’d say mystery trip, and Doug would respond with 43 questions – ‘Where are we going? How long will we be there? Where will we eat? What’s there to do? How long’s the drive?’ My answer was always the same. Two words. ‘Trust me.’”

While I have never taken my children on such outings, I’ve certainly been on a few of those trips into the unknown. God has asked me to go on a lot of mystery trips with Him. Perhaps you’re on one now. The destination isn’t clear . . . the outcome isn’t clear . . . the risks are many . . .the path is unfamiliar . . . you have a lot of questions. In fact, maybe you’re hesitating to follow the Lord in the direction where He seems to be leading. There are too many unknowns. This is a good time to meditate in our reading this morning.

The Lord wants to take you somewhere good. And it’s also true that He wants you to trust Him, not a goal. We’re always so focused on knowing His will. He wants us to focus on knowing and trusting Him. There’s an old Gospel song that says, “We cannot see what lies before, and so we cling to Him the more.” So your Heavenly Father is waiting to take you into the unknown, to some wonderful things He has planned for you. You’re hesitant to go. You’ve got all these questions and fears about where He might take you, and He’s just smiling and saying, “Trust Me.”

He can be trusted. God’s track record in your life goes all the way back to His giving His one and only Son for you on the cross and to all He did to bring you to Him. He’s so wonderfully supplied so many needs. His mercies have been new every morning. You’ve always had your “daily bread.” Your past obedience’s have brought you into some special places. You know your Father loves you, that He knows so much more about what’s good for you than you do, that He thinks of everything. Why can’t you trust Him on this one? If your Heavenly Father is taking you on another mystery trip, just get in and let Him drive. “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him.” You don’t need to know where you’re going. You only need to know that He’s driving – and He can be trusted.