Stepping Out Into the Unknown

Picture yourself in a pitch black room. You're standing up and you begin to walk.

Where are you headed?

What's the goal?

And what if you stub your toe?

There are so many questions. You don't know what's ahead next. And you may not understand why it's worth venturing into that unknown.

When we step into the unknown any number of things can attack us... However, the only thing that is sure to attack us is fear.

But...

 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

The only reason we're afraid is because we don't perfectly trust the love of God for us. We don't trust fully that God has removed all penal consequence from us. Fear always involves negative retribution for an action. But God's love has placed that penalty on Christ for our sake!

Now, Picture yourself in a pitch black room again.

Close your eyes and take that first step. Trust the love of God for you. You're going to receive good for that step. There will be no penalty. There will be no error. Any error that exists, the punishment has gone to Christ. It's clean.

Now take another step and breathe. There will be no penalty for that step either. Trust the love of God that walks in you and with you. No penalty. No error. Trust Jesus with all that.

Another step. Trust the love of God. There will be no punishment. Another step. No error. No punishment. And suddenly, we're walking. And suddenly we're running.

And suddenly the darkness becomes light to us. And suddenly we see clearly the only thing that has ever really mattered: The love of God that guards our hearts and shepherds our feet. Suddenly we know that where we're going will always be right. The unknown is now known. The love of God for me will always be there.