Following God When You Can’t See Where He’s Leading
I like to know the plan.
Not just the next step.
The whole plan.
Where are we going?
How long will it take?
What happens when we get there?
What could go wrong?
And preferably, could I have all of that information before I agree to anything?
Maybe you can relate.
We like certainty.
We like explanations.
We like knowing that if we take Step A, it will lead to Step B, which will eventually produce the outcome we’ve been hoping for.
But walking with God doesn’t always work that way.
Sometimes God gives direction without explanation.
Sometimes He shows us the next step without showing us the destination.
Sometimes obedience comes first.
And understanding comes much later.
Sometimes—
it never comes at all.
And that’s where faith becomes more than something we say we have.
It becomes something we actually live.
Abraham Went Without Knowing Where
Hebrews tells us something remarkable about Abraham:
“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” — Hebrews 11:8 ESV
I keep coming back to those words:
Not knowing where he was going.
God told Abraham to leave his country, his relatives, and his father’s household and go to a land God would show him.
Not a land God had already shown him.
A land He would show him.
There was no map tucked inside the instructions.
No detailed itinerary.
No five-year plan.
Just:
Go.
And Abraham went.
Sometimes we imagine faith as having complete confidence about where we’re headed.
But maybe faith looks more like having complete confidence in Who is leading us.
Abraham didn’t know the destination.
He knew the One who called him.
And that was enough to take the first step.
We Want God to Explain Himself
If we’re being truthful, sometimes we don’t really want guidance.
We want information.
We pray:
“Lord, show me what to do.”
But what we really mean is:
“Lord, show me what to do, explain why, tell me how everything will work out, assure me that nothing painful will happen, and then I’ll decide whether I want to do it.”
We want understanding before obedience.
But Scripture repeatedly shows us people who had to obey before they understood.
Noah built an ark before the rain came.
Joshua and Israel walked around Jericho before the walls fell.
Peter stepped out of the boat before he knew what walking on water would feel like.
The servants at Cana filled jars with water before they knew Jesus would turn it into wine.
Again and again, obedience came before the outcome.
And perhaps that is because if we already knew exactly how everything would work out, we wouldn’t need much faith.
The Next Step May Be All You Get
We talked earlier in this series about God’s Word being a lamp to our feet.
Psalm 119:105 says:
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” — Psalm 119:105 ESV
A lamp gives enough light to move forward.
It doesn’t illuminate the entire road.
And sometimes that frustrates us.
We want God to shine a floodlight ten miles ahead.
Instead, He gives us enough light for the next few feet.
Maybe you don’t know what the next year looks like.
Maybe you don’t even know what next month looks like.
But perhaps you know what faithfulness looks like today.
Make the phone call.
Have the conversation.
Forgive.
Wait.
Stay.
Go.
Say yes.
Say no.
Start.
Stop.
Apologize.
Pray.
Open His Word.
Take the next faithful step.
And then trust God to provide enough light for the one after that.
Delayed Obedience Can Become Disobedience
This one is uncomfortable.
Sometimes we tell God we’re waiting for confirmation when we’re actually waiting for Him to give us a different answer.
We already know what Scripture says.
We already know what the right thing is.
We already sense where conviction is pointing.
But we keep praying:
“Lord, just make it clearer.”
And maybe God is saying:
“I’ve already shown you.”
There are certainly times when waiting is wise. Scripture tells us to seek wisdom and godly counsel.
But there are also times when we use “discernment” as a respectable word for delay.
Because obedience may cost us something.
Our comfort.
Our pride.
Our plans.
Our preferences.
Our reputation.
Our convenience.
Maybe even a relationship or opportunity we wanted to keep.
Jesus said:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” — John 14:15 ESV
Obedience isn’t how we earn God’s love.
It’s a response to the love we’ve already received.
What If Obedience Doesn’t Make Sense?
This may be one of the hardest parts of following God.
Sometimes God’s way doesn’t seem logical from where we’re standing.
Forgive someone who hurt you?
Love your enemy?
Give generously when you’re tempted to hold tightly?
Wait when everyone else says move?
Move when everything in you wants to stay comfortable?
Trust God when circumstances seem to contradict what you thought He was doing?
God sees what we cannot see.
Isaiah 55:8–9 reminds us:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.” — Isaiah 55:8 ESV
We are making decisions from one small point in time.
God sees the entire story.
He sees what’s ahead.
He sees what we’re not ready for.
He sees what He’s protecting us from.
He sees what He’s preparing us for.
He sees the people our obedience will eventually affect.
And sometimes the thing that makes no sense today becomes the thing we thank Him for years later.
Obedience Doesn’t Guarantee an Easy Road
We need to say this clearly.
Following God doesn’t mean everything will immediately work out.
Sometimes obedience makes life harder before it becomes clearer.
Abraham obeyed God and still experienced difficulty.
The disciples followed Jesus and walked directly into storms.
Paul obeyed God and faced imprisonment, persecution, and suffering.
Jesus Himself was perfectly obedient to the Father—and His road led to the cross.
So we cannot measure whether we heard God correctly simply by whether life becomes easier.
Sometimes obedience costs us.
But difficulty doesn’t necessarily mean we took the wrong road.
The better question isn’t:
“Is this comfortable?”
It is:
“Is this faithful?”
You Can Obey Without Understanding
This is where surrender from our last conversation becomes so important.
In You Don’t Have to Carry Everything, we talked about releasing outcomes to God.
And that’s exactly what obedience requires.
We obey.
God handles the outcome.
We take the step.
God determines where the road leads.
We do what belongs to us.
God does what only He can do.
Proverbs 3:5–6 says:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” — Proverbs 3:5–6 ESV
Maybe we’ve read that verse so many times that we’ve missed what it actually asks us to do.
Do not lean on your own understanding.
It doesn’t say we shouldn’t think.
It doesn’t say wisdom doesn’t matter.
It means our understanding was never meant to become the foundation of our trust.
God is.
Looking Back Changes Things
Have you ever looked back on your life and finally understood something God was doing years earlier?
At the time, it made no sense.
A closed door.
A delay.
A change.
A disappointment.
A decision you felt convicted to make.
But years later, you could see pieces you couldn’t see then.
And suddenly you thought:
Oh.
Now I understand.
Those moments are beautiful.
But here’s the deeper faith:
Would God still be trustworthy if you never got the explanation?
That’s harder.
Because sometimes we won’t understand everything this side of heaven.
Faith says:
God, I would love an explanation.
But I don’t require one in order to trust You.
Take the Step
Maybe you’re standing somewhere today waiting for certainty.
You’ve prayed.
You’ve read Scripture.
You’ve sought wise counsel.
And perhaps you already know the next faithful thing God is asking of you.
But you’re afraid to move because you cannot see what happens after that.
Remember Abraham.
He didn’t know where.
He knew Who.
And sometimes Who has to be enough.
You don’t need the whole map to take the next step.
You don’t need to know how everything turns out.
You don’t need every question answered.
You don’t need certainty about tomorrow.
You need enough faith for today’s obedience.
A Gracious Living Reflection
Is there something you already know God is asking you to do—but you’ve been waiting until you understand how everything will work out?
Maybe it’s a conversation.
A boundary.
Forgiveness.
Generosity.
A step of faith.
A season of waiting.
A change.
An act of service.
Something Scripture has already made clear.
Ask yourself:
“Am I waiting on God—or is God waiting on me to obey what He’s already shown me?”
Then pray:
“Lord, I want to trust You more than I trust my own understanding. Give me wisdom to recognize what You are asking of me, courage to obey what You have made clear, and faith to leave the outcome in Your hands. Show me the next step—and help me take it.”
You may not know where the road leads.
That’s okay.
The One leading you does.
You don’t need the whole map when you know the One who does.
Take the next step.
Grateful for His grace. Gracious with His love.
— Living Life Graciously