The Unknown

The unknown to me is not unknown to our Creator. The unknown to us is a mystery, but our Creator is everywhere, sees and hears everything. He is outside of time, as well as all powerful, and loving. Given the opportunity to trust this God with His character, and His promises, can we walk in the totally unknown. . . to us. From my current situation as a senior citizen, I have a few stories to tell. Here is part of one of them. 

The first time I remember this Psalm impacting me was a long time ago. Just out of university our Creator invited me to go to Africa – to live. That was 1980, before personal computers, internet, cell phones, and cable TV was barely a thing. At that time, my image of Africa was still largely, but not completely, one of living in the jungle. Learning new languages and customs, was a huge step of faith for me. My hesitations revolved around “is this Creator really reliable? Was I really hearing God call this sorority girl to go teach high school in Africa?” One morning as I grappled with these questions, I read Psalm 139. The following section seemingly jumped off the page to me. 

⁷ I can never escape from your Spirit!
    I can never get away from your presence!
⁸ If I go up to heaven, you are there;
    if I go down to the grave,^[a] you are there.
⁹ If I ride the wings of the morning,
    if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
    and your strength will support me.

As I prayed through it, I found myself hungering to know this God who made these big promises. This Psalm made it clear to me that on my own I am insignificant. It is my connection to the power of love from our Creator that make the difference. The Creator of everything, is the only one who could see everything that is unknown. . . to us. Could this One really be the same everywhere, even on the other side of the vast oceans? That was what I wanted to find out.

The plan was to leave my family for two years. I did return after two years, but I did not return to stay in the U.S. until thirteen years after I first went out. Even afterwards, I traveled on new God adventures for decades afterwards. 

Yes, I learned that Our God, the Father, Son, and Spirit, is not fickle or weak. Our God is mighty to save, is a keeper of His promises, and fully knows the unknown.

I declare the reality of these verses over you as well. No one can escape the presence of the Holy Spirit. No one. He never forces Himself on us, but is always ready to respond when we trust.