October 2, 2026
If you have been around any kids who love Disney, I’m sure you have heard the song “Into the Unknown” from the movie “Frozen 2.” All my grandchildren love this song and have sung it at one time or another.
As I was praying while driving to work, for some crazy reason I thought about this song. I looked up the lyrics when I got to work, and the first verse just made me think about how Satan is trying to distract all of us with the “unknown.” Some of the lines from the first verse are, “I can hear you, but I won’t, there’s a thousand reasons I should go about my day and ignore your whispers which I wish would go away. I’m afraid of what I’m risking if I follow you into the unknown.”
There are so many things going on, not only in my life, but in our world that I honestly feel that if I entertain any of the fears that surround them I could fall into the unknown. That is exactly what Satan wants - to distract us with the unknown so we will be ineffective in our walk with the Lord.
I decided I needed to write down what I know, and every time I start to wander into the unknown I will keep reminding myself of what I know about God.
First, I know “this too shall pass.” We all have difficult moments or seasons in our life. I know there have been times when I have thought, "Can I even get through this time?" It always reminds me that I am not in control. God is. God created this world and He will be there at the very end. Whatever is happening in my life, He knew it was coming way before I did. This too shall pass. Look for the lessons in the experiences as hard as they might be.
Second, I know there will be times when I must “wait on the Lord.” I am not a patient person and when I have something on my list (mental or physical list) I want to take care of it as quickly as possible. If you think about it, we wait on many things. We wait in endless lines at the grocery store, we wait in carpool lines, we wait for a table at a restaurant, and I have waited in line for stores to shop on Black Friday. I might complain about these things but I still wait because I know that what I’m waiting on will have a so-called reward. I just accept that is the way it is.
I don’t know about you, but waiting on God is so much harder for me. Throughout my years of waiting on the Lord, I have learned most often God is teaching me something while I am waiting. It is not unproductive time and God is not trying to ignore me. There is a purpose in waiting. There is time to prepare in waiting and waiting can be profitable to us. In Isaiah 40:31, it says “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint.” Maybe if our perspective about waiting on the Lord were changed we would be prepared, see the purpose and how it profits us in many ways. The ultimate reward is when we are obedient and wait on the Lord.
The last thing I will mention is I know God has a plan. I may not understand it but He has a plan and it is perfect. It is amazing to think that in this huge world we live in that God has a plan for me! I read one time that although we may feel that our life is ordinary, in the hands of God the extraordinary is always possible. There are so many verses that confirm God has a plan. Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” In Esther 4:14 it says “perhaps you were born for such a time as this,” or Psalm 32:8 which says “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go, I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”
God has a plan! I know at times we all feel we are stepping into the unknown but God has a plan for each of us. You might be in a difficult season that seems like it will never end, but God has a plan and this too shall pass. You may feel like you are spinning your wheels and going nowhere and accomplishing nothing, but God has a plan and He is preparing you for a purpose as you wait on Him.
If I’m being totally transparent, I greatly dislike the unknown. It can make me feel helpless, hopeless, and out of control. When there are unknowns in my life I have to make the conscious decision to trust the One who I know totally knows my future.
We are not stepping into the unknown with an uncertain future. We know who holds the future and He also holds our hands. We will all face an unknown future with problems large and small. I’m going to trust the God who knows the future and give to Him my all. What about you?
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Jill Johnson, a staff member at the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, finds spiritual applications in her everyday experiences as a wife, mother, grandmother and Georgian. She is available to speak to your church's women's gatherings. Reach her at jjohnson@gabaptist.org.
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