Walking the Unknown

Rachel Vaughn
Oct 20
5 min read

Today we are talking about walking the unknown—those times when life asks us to move forward, but we can’t see the whole path. Joshua 3:4 reminds us that the Israelites hadn’t traveled this way before, and God gave them clear instructions: follow the Ark, stay the proper distance, and trust the guidance.

Life often feels the same way. We don’t know exactly what’s ahead, but God asks us to trust Him, follow His direction, and keep our focus on Him. Even when the path is uncertain, He knows the way. Today, let’s explore how to take steps of faith into the unknown, trusting that God is leading us every step of the way.

Joshua 3:4 (NLT): “Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you. Stay about half a mile behind them, keeping a clear distance between you and the Ark. Make sure you don’t come any closer.”

As you walk into an unknown season, remember that you can rest in God.

You may have never traveled down the path you are going down, or maybe you have, and the first time was a rough ride, so you are feeling so many different things—know that God is with you, and in that fact, you will find the peace and strength needed to continue forward.

God knows the way, He knows your heart, and He will give you all you need to make it down the path that He has laid out for you.

Just as He has led those who have gone before us, He leads you today. Keep your faith in the Lord strong.

So often, life changes in a moment, and we find ourselves experiencing things we have never experienced before. There may be a lot of unknowns, even though life may, for the most part, be the same.

It is comforting that not all things have changed, but there is still a slight uneasiness because of the change. We may feel like we are missing something, but really, we aren’t—it’s just new or different.

But remember that nothing is unknown to an all-knowing God, and that right there gives us hope in the future.

The Israelites teach us so much as they walked through many unknowns with God leading.

They teach us how to trust God, and they teach us what not to do when following God. Their faith in God wavered often because of tiredness, hunger, and thirst. Though their circumstances changed, God did not change. But because their focus wavered from God to their circumstances, they struggled a lot.

God corrected them and proved Himself to them all along the way, and you would have thought they would have come to understand that in their unknown situations, God always knew.

Lucky for us, we can read, learn, and understand from their mistakes and struggles.

Keep your eyes on the Lord and have confidence that He knows what He’s doing.

Walking into unknown territory can feel intimidating—new jobs, new schools, or unexpected changes can leave us uncertain. But Joshua 3:4 gives us a blueprint: follow the guide God has placed before you and maintain your focus on Him.

Sometimes we want to rush ahead, see the path, or take control—but God’s timing and direction matter more than our certainty. Staying close to His guidance allows us to walk safely and confidently, even when we can’t see the full journey.

Have you ever gone to a national park and decided to walk the trails before? You see a path, yet you don’t know where it leads, but because it has been marked out by someone, you trust that you will make it to the destination just fine.

The same can be said when we follow God. We may not have ever walked the path that He has laid out, but He knows the way to the end and what is at the end, so we should be confident that we will make it to the destination just fine.

God does not mislead or cause confusion, so though the path is new to us, it is not new to Him. Keep your focus on Him and trust His guidance.

Trusting is hard, and throw in the unknown, and we get antsy and skittish… I mean, there are now two things we need to get a handle on—trust and the unknown.

But God calls us to trust in Him with all our hearts, souls, and minds, and so that means that we need to trust in the things we don’t see as well. So trusting through the unknown should be somewhat easier because we know that we can trust in God and His Word.

So, when you are feeling like you might be wavering a bit, get into the Word, read some truths, and remember that God is a trustworthy God who will lead us and guide us in love and truth.

Trusting the unknown isn’t just about obedience—it’s about faith. We might not know the twists and turns, but God knows them all. Like the Israelites, we follow His lead, stay patient, and keep our eyes on His presence.

Even when the next step feels risky or confusing, remember: God has already gone before us. The Ark was their guide, and our guide is the Spirit of God, leading us with wisdom, protection, and love.

The Israelites were at the end of their long journey. They had walked in the desert for 40 years being led by God, and here they were at the last river crossing into the Promised Land. They could fully grasp and see that God’s promise was, in fact, coming true. They had one more step of trusting and following the Levitical priests and the Ark of the Covenant that was being carried.

Can you imagine being promised something and waiting for this unknown place for 40 years? God’s timing is perfect, and if we do things that cause us to be prolonged for that promise and timing, then that is on us.

But in the end, we learn and grow in faith just as the Israelites did, and when we do, we will receive exactly what God has for us, and we can rejoice in the faithfulness of the Lord.

We have all walked through unknown times, and even with others surrounding us, we can feel so distant and out of sorts.

The good news is that God does not let go of us, so even though those unknown moments can make us feel like we are alone, we can be hopeful through every situation when we keep our focus on the Lord and remember that He is holding us close.

If you are feeling alone right now, pray and ask the Lord to fill you with His overwhelming love and presence. He will comfort you and give you what you have asked for. Let your faith grow in that moment and walk forward in confidence in the Lord, knowing that His hand is guiding you.

Think about this: walking the unknown doesn’t mean walking alone or completely in the dark, and Joshua 3:4 reminds us to follow God’s guidance and maintain our focus on Him, even when the road is unfamiliar.

Stay close to God’s leading, trust His timing, and take steps of faith into the unknown. He knows the way, even when we don’t.