August 15
Stepping Into the
Unknown
"Here is what I am commanding you to do. Be strong and brave. Do not be afraid. Do not lose hope. I am the Lord your God. I will be with you everywhere you go.”
Joshua 1:9 (NIrV)
Theo gripped the edges of his graduation gown, his fingers twisting the fabric. The gymnasium buzzed with excitement—families cheering, cameras flashing, classmates exchanging nervous glances. This was supposed to be the moment he had been working toward for years. The finish line.
So why did it feel like the starting point of a race he wasn’t sure he could run?
His mind swirled with questions, doubts pressing in like storm clouds. What now? What if I fail? What if I disappoint everyone? College, work, expectations—everyone had an opinion on what came next, but Theo wasn’t sure where God wanted him to go. He wanted to follow God’s will, but the truth was, he wasn’t even sure what that looked like.
As the principal called his name, Theo took a deep breath and stepped forward. The applause roared around him, but inside, he felt small. Lost. Alone.
After the ceremony, he slipped away from the crowd and walked outside. The summer air was thick with humidity, cicadas humming in the trees. He found a quiet bench and dropped his head into his hands.
“God… what do You want from me?” he whispered. “I don’t know where I’m going. And I’m scared.”
A memory surfaced—his grandmother’s voice reading from the Bible when he was a kid: "Do not be afraid. Do not lose hope. I am the Lord your God. I will be with you everywhere you go."
Theo swallowed hard. Maybe he didn’t have to have everything figured out. Maybe he just had to trust that God was already in the future, making a way.
He sat up straighter, his heart a little steadier. The road ahead was still uncertain, but he wasn’t walking it alone.
Prayer:
Lord, I don’t always know what comes next, and that scares me.
But You do. Help me to trust in Your plan, even when I can’t see it clearly.
Remind me that You are with me wherever I go, and I don’t have to be afraid.
Give me courage to take the next step, knowing You will guide my path.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
