When It Is Not Clear, Stay Close
From blur to focus, a quiet picture of staying close to Jesus until clarity comes.
Devotional Credit: My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Matthew 20:22 records Jesus saying, you do not know what you are asking. That line feels honest about real life. Some days with God feel bright and simple. Other days feel foggy. Oswald Chambers helps us sit with that reality without panic. Confusion does not mean we are off the path. It often means the Lord is taking us by a way we do not yet understand.
Chambers points to moments when the Father may seem distant, like a friend who does not rise at midnight, like a father who seems slow to answer, like a judge who appears unmoved. The stories come from Jesus Himself. He is telling us that appearances can mislead. The Father’s friendship, fatherhood, and faithfulness remain steady even when feelings argue otherwise.
So what do we do in the middle space before clarity comes. We keep going with the Lord Jesus. Not in white knuckle effort, but in trust. Everyone who asks receives. Keep knocking. Keep walking. Our Father is better than any friend, wiser than any parent, and more just than any judge. In time the fog thins and we see a little more of what He was doing.
I am grateful for Chambers’ gentle, practical nudge. Do not quit when it is unclear. Stay close to Jesus. Let the Holy Spirit steady your heart. In the end we see that He was near all along, guiding us for our good and for the good of His people.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I am with you on the road you do not yet understand. You walk by faith, not by sight. When your questions rise, ask, seek, and knock, for the Father gives good to His children. If a shadow seems to rest on My friendship, remember the midnight friend who grants what is needed. If a cloud covers My fatherhood, remember that I give good gifts and I never trick My own. If I seem slow like an unmoved judge, know that I speed justice in ways that fit a larger mercy.
You are a new creation in Christ. You have been crucified with Him, and He lives in you. Present yourself to God. I guard your heart with peace as you set your mind on things above. I lead you beside quiet waters within. I teach you to pray and not lose heart. In the waiting, I conform you to the image of the Son. The fog will lift. For now, fix your eyes on Jesus and keep in step with Me.
Scripture references: Matthew 20:22, Luke 11:5 to 13, Luke 18:1 to 8, Matthew 7:7 to 11, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:6 to 11, Romans 12:1 to 2, Philippians 4:7, Colossians 3:1 to 3, Romans 8:28 to 29, Hebrews 12:2, Galatians 5:25.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of a phone camera trying to focus in a dim room. The lens hunts for a moment, then locks onto the subject and the picture sharpens. Walking with Jesus in confusing seasons feels like that. The Spirit of God is the true focus system inside you. As you pause and let Him set the focus, the scene becomes workable even before it is perfectly clear.
Try this today. Just before an uncertain meeting or task, be still for ten seconds and whisper, Lord, I trust You to set my focus and live Your life through me as I take the next step. Then move forward with a calm pace, expecting the indwelling Spirit to express patience, honesty, and wisdom in real time.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that I am united with Jesus and that Your Spirit leads me when I do not understand. Thank You that Your friendship, Your fatherly care, and Your faithfulness do not change. I receive this day with confidence in Your nearness. I rest in Your peace as I keep walking. Lord, I trust You to clarify my steps and to love through me in each conversation and decision.