Chosen, Called & Covered Part 1: Walking by Faith & Not by Sight

Tomorrow at 8 a.m., I leave for my missions trip to Beattyville, Kentucky, with 17 others from my church’s youth group. While I was packing, small waves of anxiety came over me. Did I remember to pack that? Did I get this? Should I bring that? What about this? What is everyone else bringing?

Quickly, my soul began to feel heavy—not just from packing, but from the hoping and wishing that everything will go okay. There have been five weeks of meetings, preparations, and trainings leading up to this trip—and definitely some struggles along the way. Thinking about how far we’ve come and all that we’ve prepared for, my heart grew anxious. I just want this trip to bear good fruit. I don’t want it to be in vain.

I’ve never been a youth group leader before—and I’ve definitely never led a missions trip. All the “what ifs” started flooding my mind, and I began to feel the pressure to produce some kind of outcome, even though I know I have little control over that at this point.

I felt the Lord calling me to rest with Him. So I sat down on my bedroom floor, grabbed my journal, a pen, and my phone, and played the first song on my Spotify Discover Weekly: “I Love You, Lord / I’ll Stand / Be High & Lifted Up” by Sam Reed. Immediately, I could sense the Lord’s presence with me—right by my side, quieting my heart and stilling my mind. As I began to worship and sing the words out loud, the Lord started reminding me of what He’s been teaching me in the Book of Joshua.

Specifically, the story where Joshua and Caleb were sent with ten other spies into the Promised Land to scout it out. Up until that point, the Israelites had been waiting to enter the Promised Land—a land “flowing with milk and honey”—their first home since escaping slavery in Egypt.

As Caleb, Joshua, and the others entered the land of Canaan, they saw rich soil, flowing streams, and fruit in great abundance. But when they returned to the camp, fear overtook the Israelites because the other spies gave a fearful report about how large and powerful the Canaanites were. Only Joshua and Caleb responded in faith, declaring that the land was prosperous and that the Lord would surely be with them, for His promises are good.

Because the majority of the Israelites gave in to fear and disbelief, they were not allowed to enter the Promised Land. Instead, they wandered in the desert for 40 years.

The Lord chose Joshua and Caleb to lead the next generation (those under the age of 20) into the Promised Land. These two had faith—they were not afraid of the giants ahead—and so the Lord blessed them. He used their obedience to usher the Israelites into their long-awaited inheritance.

Joshua and Caleb were chosen by God to be leaders because of their faith. They were called into the Promised Land by the Lord. And the Lord covered them with His everlasting grace and faithfulness, fulfilling His promise to them.

So what does this have to do with me?

I don’t want to cower in fear. I don’t want the unknown, or the perceived danger or discomfort ahead, to keep me from walking in the promises God has for me, for our group, and for the people we’ll serve and minister to while we’re there. I don’t want to wander the desert for 40 years because of a lack of trust. I want to lead boldly and courageously, knowing my God—Jehovah Jireh—is going before us. And all His ways are good and sure (Psalm 145:17).

On this trip, I truly believe God has not only chosen me to be a leader, but called me to this specific mission. And I believe He will cover me. He will guard my going out and coming in (Deuteronomy 28:6). He will be with me every step of the way—from the moment we leave the parking lot to our stop in Indianapolis, to the foothills of the Appalachians. The Lord will be with me. He will be moving in and through me, guiding me, and encouraging me to take steps of faith into the unknown—into places I’ve never been before, but places I believe the Lord has predestined us for. 

And I believe he has chosen, called and covered you too. Firstly, into the body of Christ, and secondly into any area of responsibility or calling he has invited you into. 

I pray that if you have entered an anxious moment like me, that you would turn to the Lord and be reminded of his goodness and faithfulness over your life - in both the big and small things.

God, I thank You that our hope is in You, and that we can have firm confidence that You are the source of our strength. I pray that You would give us the faith and endurance to run the race You’ve marked out for us. That we would not be afraid of what You are calling us into. That we wouldn’t fear the unknown or the perceived "giants" in the way, but instead believe that You will work everything out. I pray that You would use us, guide us, and that we would be available for Your work to be established in us.

I pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.