Unchartered territory

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NASB)

Imagine someone you love puts a blindfold over your eyes. They tell you they are taking you somewhere. You can’t see where, but for now you have to trust them and allow them to lead you.

What might you be feeling in that moment?

Recently, my husband and I became empty-nesters when our youngest son ventured off to college for the first time. I have been a mom since I was nineteen years old. Aside from being a wife, being a mom was my priority. My moments were filled with seeking God for my two boys and training them up in Him. My heart and mind were consistently focused on them. Now, some days I look around and feel as though I am in a foreign land.

This past week I was reading in the book of Joshua. Moses had just died and God tells Joshua that He will be the new leader of His people and take them into the promised land. This promised land was uncharted territory.

I wonder how Joshua was feeling?

Right now, I feel as though God has put that blindfold over my eyes. I know He is taking me where He wants me to go. And even though I can’t see, I need to trust Him as He leads me into this uncharted territory.

I am not going to lie to you… I am scared at times. I am tempted to run back to all that is familiar, and I am sad sometimes. But, just like Joshua, I have a choice to make. Joshua chose to trust God and His leading. He chose to believe God’s promise that He would guide him and would be with him wherever he went.

Will I trust God’s promise? Will I trust in the Lord and not on what I can and can’t see?
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5&6 (NASB)

Will I commit my way to the Lord, or will I try to take it into my own hands?
“Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it.” Psalm 37:5 (NASB)

I do miss my children and the season of motherhood that I have experienced with them. I am still afraid of the uncharted territory that lies before me. But I will choose to trust in the Lord and commit my ways to Him as He leads me.

Are you facing uncharted territory? What will you choose?