What Does the Bible Say About Being in the Unknown?

My family and I often go to a park near where we live which is a maze of different trails, intersecting with each other and crowded by big thick trees. A few years ago, I participated in a ‘fun’ trail race, where they removed the signs. I remember getting lost several times and moments when I thought I had finally found the right path only to run past the same tree stump for the fifth time.

It reminded me of trying to navigate life. I thought about what it would be like to have signposts for life. Wouldn’t that be nice? Imagine what it would be like to quit or start your job, to send your kids back to school or homeschool, to move to a new community or stay where you are? Imagine if, at every major (and even minor) decision point, there was a detailed explanation of the potential outcomes hinging on the choice made.

I’ve been there a lot in life. Whether it’s been changing jobs, buying a home, or making big decisions that impact my children, no matter how much planning I do or talk about it with my wife, there are always unknowns and surprises we encounter that we never could have seen coming.

The biggest unknown though was when I started trying to go deeper in my faith.

A few years ago, my faith became alive for me in a way that I had never experienced. Part of that awakening was a discussion with a priest who described a passage from Leviticus in which Moses anoints Aaron. It was a seminal moment for me and it was the first time someone had shared Scripture with me that helped me interpret what I was feeling and experiencing in real-time.

Something changed in me. I felt on fire for the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The only problem was that I had no idea what to do next. It was like I had walked through the door and somehow thought that was the event, not realizing that it was only the start of a lifelong journey and I was without a map. I found myself in new territory – the unknown – in my faith journey.

But we live in a world where everyone has a different answer for every situation. There is still so much uncertainty, and pain and suffering. There is only one book that offers us timeless guarantees.

With no signposts like the ones my family uses on our hikes, we do have the Bible as a guide. And not just for understanding faith but it’s a map for all of life.

In times like these, I am learning it is the first place I should go for counsel, comfort, and wisdom. Whether you are taking the next step in faith or just wrestling with the constant unknown of living in a global pandemic, there are three passages I regularly draw upon.

The first is from Matthew 8. Jesus is on a boat journey with His disciples through a bad storm. While Jesus sleeps, the disciples are panicking. Finally, they wake Him up, anxious for Him to do something and He asks them why they have such little faith In God’s protection over them. He then calms the storm into an instant peace.

For me, this is a constant reminder that while I may be up against challenges and what seem to be overwhelming odds against me in life, I am never alone. Jesus is with me, even in the times where He seems to be asleep, as He is before bringing peace over the storm. It could be something as simple as trying to balance a hectic work schedule with a challenging family situation and a sick child. The temptation is to panic or lose my head, but I am learning to invite Jesus in to bring peace, and even if things don’t change instantly, it brings calm and helps me better cope with what is in front of me.

In John’s Gospel in Chapter 6 when Jesus is facing some of His followers leaving Him after hearing difficult teaching, Jesus turns to His closest disciples and asks them if they also wish to leave. At that moment, Peter steps forward and tells Jesus “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Journeying in faith and life can be difficult sometimes, and I’ve had moments where I do not know what God is calling me into. The temptation to ‘turn back’ is something I’ve faced from time to time. I’ve faced this in big moments, but also in little ones, like deciding on whether or not to talk about my faith with a friend who doesn’t know God when it would be easier to keep the conversation to ‘safe’ topics. Or when times are uncertain and I feel like the only way forward is to micromanage my life and analyze every possible outcome of my work, living arrangements, income, in the false hope that in doing so, I will gain control over my life and its outcome.

Yet Peter’s response reminds me there is no other truly safe place to go – Jesus is the safe harbour. He has the wisdom and guidance that I’m looking for when I stray. This gives me the confidence to move forward into the unknown. Only in faith can I go where God is calling me is where I need to go.

The third passage is from Jeremiah 6:16. “Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.”

Like the trails in the forest, I often come to a crossing of paths in life where I have to decide between one road or the other. And while the crossroads of life do not often provide clear signposts, the Scripture reminds me that there are many who have walked the ancient paths before me, and though seeking wise counsel, starting with Jesus, it is possible to find the right way. This helps me with the constant temptation to seek every resolution, ‘right now’, and understand that in God’s time, things will be resolved.

What I have found so amazing about the Bible in the last few years is that the Word is alive – this isn’t just a book. In a ‘real-life’ situation, it has been able to provide me with clear guidance, peace, strength, and wisdom, though the words were written 2,000 years ago.

None of us know what is coming next. We are all in perpetual unknown, which is a scary thought. Yet what the Bible tells us is that God is always with us and therefore, even when we find ourselves feeling in the midst of the unknown, we can draw upon the Living Word of God and remember that we are never alone.

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