November 19, 2024

When You Don’t Know What To Do Next
ASHLEY MORGAN JACKSON

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“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105 (NIV)

I was panicking. It was the first day of our mission trip to Serbia, and my team had left me to go find a café while I was wrapping up an email home. They assured me they would be right across the street.

But when I went to check in with them, they were nowhere to be found.

I paced back and forth on that snow-filled walkway. The sky grew dark as the sun set quickly, and I was faced with the reality that I was alone in a foreign city. But I knew I had to do something.

I looked down at my return bus ticket, and my ears filled with a hot ringing as I saw symbols of a language I didn’t understand. Lord, You have to help me, I heard myself whisper. I have no idea where to go or what to do.

Maybe you’ve never been lost in a foreign country, but I have a feeling you know this sense of panic. Maybe for you it’s caused by unexpected loss, pressure within a relationship, uncertainty as a season comes to an end, or the weight of a burden you don’t think will ever be lifted. It feels overwhelmingly scary, and you are desperate for a way forward.

But, friend, when things are dark and unclear, we aren’t without hope.

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” When we find ourselves in a dark place, God tells us to use His Word as our light , and it will illuminate our next steps little by little.

In that moment in Serbia, I clutched my bus ticket and went to the bustling terminal. I didn’t know where I was going next, but I knew I could no longer stay where I was. God's Word says He is a faithful Guide (Psalm 25:9; Psalm 48:14; Psalm 78:53). So I prayed: Please, Lord, help me choose correctly. I took a step onto a bus and sat down.

He did help, and that bus led me to a street I recognized. I hopped off and trudged through the snow to find my team waiting for me in the warm house. I had been lost … but as I trusted God for each step, I found my way home.

Friend, will you dare to hold on to God’s Word by faith? If your future seems uncertain, allow Jesus to bring the clarity and hope you desperately need, one step at a time. We don’t need to know where the road ends up when we know the One lighting the path is so worthy of our trust.

Oh, Lord, thank You that You care about the places that make me panic, and thank You that You never leave me. I know You will always provide guidance, one step at a time, through Your Word. Even though I don’t know where exactly I’m going, I know I want to go with You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

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If you’ve tried it all — saying the right words and prayers, reading the right Bible verses — but nothing seems to work, check out Ashley Morgan Jackson’s new book, Tired of Trying: How to Hold On to God When You’re Frustrated, Fed Up, and Feeling Forgotten! Ashley is no stranger to this kind of spiritual exhaustion and discouragement. Rich with biblical encouragement, personal story and practical application, her book Tired of Trying is an invitation to wrestle with and face God in your greatest fears, pains and unanswered questions. Order today!

ENGAGE

You can find more encouragement from Ashley on her Instagram, where she shares daily reminders about who you are and whose you are!

Ashley would also love to share her FREE, six-session online course and 32-page workbook, Spiritual Growth: Your Practical Guide to Getting Unstuck & Grow in God. Let’s grow in Christ together.

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (NIV).

In what area of your life have you been leaning on your own understanding? How can you let God’s Word light your path today? Share your thoughts in the comments!

© 2024 by Ashley Morgan Jackson. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org