The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand."
Psalm 37:23-24
Faith begins where the visible path ends. Every meaningful journey contains stretches where the way forward isn't immediately clear. Like standing at the edge of a fog bank knowing your destination lies somewhere beyond, there comes a point where continuing requires more than just following what you can see. In these threshold moments, when certainty dissolves into mystery, we discover what walking by faith truly means.
God rarely shows us the entire staircase, just the next step. Martin Luther King Jr. wisely observed, "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." This truth resonates through Scripture, from Abraham leaving Ur without knowing his destination to the disciples dropping their nets to follow Jesus without understanding where it would lead. God's guidance system operates on a need-to-know basis, revealing just enough light for the step directly ahead.
The unseen path is where God builds uncommon trust. Think about how David's years in the wilderness prepared him for kingship or how Joseph's detours through slavery and prison prepared him to save nations. These weren't random wanderings but divine detours developing crucial character. The fog that obscures our vision doesn't hinder God's work; it often enhances it by requiring deeper dependence on His guidance.
Faith's greatest leaps happen between the stepping stones. When Joshua led Israel to the flooded Jordan River, the waters didn't part until the priests' feet touched the water. The Red Sea parted before Moses, but the Jordan required a step of faith first. Sometimes God provides just enough clarity to take one step, waiting for our obedience before revealing the next portion of the path.
Our spiritual development requires stretches of reduced visibility. Just as physical muscles grow through resistance, our faith strengthens when we can't see clearly but must trust deeply. These foggy stretches aren't divine punishment but spiritual training. God isn't being coy or capricious by withholding the full picture; He's developing our spiritual sensitivity to His voice and presence.
When the path disappears, God's promises remain. In 1952, Florence Chadwick attempted to swim from Catalina Island to the California mainland. Thick fog set in, obscuring her view of the shore. She gave up, only to discover later she was just half a mile from the coast. Two months later, she tried again. The fog returned, but this time she kept swimming by keeping a mental image of the shore. Your mental image of God's faithfulness can sustain you when fog obscures your progress.
Waiting for complete clarity often means missing divine opportunities. If Hudson Taylor had waited for full funding before heading to China, if Mother Teresa had demanded a detailed plan before serving in Calcutta, if the early apostles had insisted on guaranteed safety before spreading the gospel – how much poorer would our world be? Some divine invitations come with expiration dates, requiring immediate faith-steps before the full picture emerges.
The greatest adventures of faith begin with incomplete instructions. When Philip was told to "go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza" (Acts 8:26), he wasn't given the why, who, or what-next. He simply obeyed, resulting in the Ethiopian eunuch's conversion. God's greatest kingdom opportunities often come wrapped in partial information, requiring trust to unwrap the full blessing.
Every step taken in faith becomes a memorial stone for future uncertainties. After crossing the Jordan, Joshua had Israel set up memorial stones as reminders of God's faithfulness. Similarly, each time we step forward in faith without complete visibility, we're establishing reference points to strengthen us in future uncertainties. Today's faith-step becomes tomorrow's faith-builder.
I remember when I totally accepted my calling as a pastor. I had been running away from God's calling. I had negotiated different things; from being a boss in a company to a teacher in my alma mater. I was even holding on to a potential job offer that I was sure to get (cause my Dad knew the head of the company.) But on that Friday, I received a phone call and the person on the other line said that I wasn't accepted. As I put the phone down, I didn't feel sad or disappointed. Frankly, it was a sigh of relief. Why? (ask me why?) Because I knew it was God telling me, "It's time to surrender." And so I did. I prayed a prayer: "Lord, I surrender my dreams and plans to you. Beginning today, your dreams are my dreams. Your plans are my plans." And here we are now.
The path ahead may be unclear, but the One guiding you is unchanging. Think about driving through dense fog with your high beams on – they actually reduce visibility by reflecting light back at you. Experienced drivers switch to low beams and focus on the pavement immediately ahead. Similarly, in spiritual fog, we focus less on demanding long-range clarity and more on staying close to our Guide.
Beloved Godseekers, the fog doesn't mean you've lost your way. It simply means you're being invited deeper into trust. When you can't trace God's hand, you can still trust His heart. The limited visibility isn't a statement about His faithfulness but an invitation to experience it in new dimensions. Keep moving forward, one faith-step at a time. The path may be hidden, but the Pathmaker remains beside you.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, give me courage to take the next step even when I can't see the full path ahead. Thank You that Your hand guides me even through the fog of uncertainty. Help me trust Your heart when I cannot trace Your plan. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Personal Reflection
- What "next step" has God been asking you to take that requires faith rather than complete clarity?
- How have past experiences of stepping out in faith strengthened your ability to trust God now?
Step of Faith
Today, I will identify one area where I've been waiting for complete clarity, and instead take a step forward in faith, trusting God's guidance even without seeing the entire path.
