Gems of Knowledge

Today’s One Year Bible Verses: 2 Samuel 23:24–24:25, Acts 3:1–26, Psalm 123:1–4, Proverbs 16:21–23

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Trusting God in the Darkness

One of the things I enjoy doing with my husband is deer hunting. If you’ve ever hunted, you know that often means getting up long before sunrise and heading out while it is still completely dark.

One particular morning stands out in my memory. We left the trailer and started walking toward our tree stand. A short distance into the walk, I realized I had forgotten my flashlight.

Suddenly, I had a problem.

The only light available was the one my husband carried.

At first it wasn’t too bad because we were on a well-worn trail. But eventually we stepped off the path and crossed a field before entering a wooded area. The ground became uneven. Rocks were hidden beneath leaves. Small holes and roots seemed to appear out of nowhere.

The darkness was so complete that I could not safely see where to place my feet.

The only thing I could do was stay close to my husband and carefully watch where he stepped. Every step he took became my next step. If he stepped over a rock, I stepped over it. If he walked around a hole, I walked around it. I stayed directly behind him because I knew that if I wandered off on my own, there was a good chance I would stumble, twist an ankle, or fall.

As we walked through the darkness, the Lord immediately spoke to my heart.

That is exactly what our walk with God is supposed to look like.

This world can often feel dark. We cannot see what tomorrow holds. We do not know what lies around the next bend in the path. We want God to hand us a spotlight that reveals the entire journey, but instead He often gives us something much smaller.

Just enough light for the next step.

This morning the Holy Spirit whispered this Gem of Knowledge to me:

“Determine your steps with Me, each step, each day. I will guide you. Never doubt, but believe always. Amen.”

The more I thought about that hunting trip, the more I realized how often we try to get ahead of God. We want answers about next year while He is directing today’s step. We want the entire map while He is asking us simply to stay close enough to follow His feet.

Psalm 119 says, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Notice it does not say a stadium light, a floodlight, or a spotlight stretching miles into the future. A lamp reveals enough for the next step.

That is faith…

Not seeing everything.

Not knowing everything.

But trusting the One who does.

In today’s reading from Acts 3, Peter and John were simply going to the Temple to pray. They were not launching a ministry campaign. They were not organizing a revival. They were simply taking the next faithful step before them.

Then they encountered the lame man at the gate called Beautiful.

What strikes me is that the miracle happened in the middle of ordinary obedience.

Peter did not wake up knowing exactly what God would do that day. He simply walked where God led him. Then, when the moment came, he responded in faith.

“Then Peter said, ‘I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!’” (Acts 3:6, NLT)

The miracle was waiting along the path of obedience.

How often are we so focused on the distant horizon that we miss what God wants to do in the next step?

David’s story in today’s reading reminds us of this as well. Even a man after God’s own heart made mistakes when he began relying on his own judgment instead of God’s direction. Yet when David humbled himself and returned to the Lord, God met him with mercy.

That is encouraging because none of us walk perfectly.

We will occasionally take wrong turns. We will hesitate. We will doubt. Yet God remains faithful to guide those who continually return to Him.

Psalm 123 paints a beautiful picture of this dependence:

“I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven.” (Psalm 123:1, NLT)

The psalmist is not staring at the path – He is staring at the One leading him.

That changes everything.

And Proverbs 16 reminds us that wisdom is not simply knowing what to do; it is learning how to walk with God through every decision, every conversation, every opportunity, and every unknown.

Perhaps that is what faith truly looks like—not having every answer or knowing exactly how God will accomplish His promises. Instead, it is waking up each morning and saying, “Lord, show me today’s step,” and then taking it. And tomorrow, taking the next one.

Because the safest place is not necessarily knowing where the path leads, but staying close enough to the One holding the lamp. 💎🪔

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Action (5 Minutes with God)

Take at least 5 minutes today to seek the Lord as your Guide. Ask Him:

• “Lord, what do You want me to know about this?”
  • Journal what He gives you by His Holy Spirit.
• Then ask, “What do You want me to do?”
  • Journal what He gives you – then do it!

Trust Him to reveal your path one step at a time.

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Prayer

Father, thank You that I do not have to see the entire journey to trust You. Help me resist the temptation to demand certainty before obedience. Teach me to walk closely beside You, one step at a time. Open my ears to Your guidance and my heart to trust Your leading. Strengthen my faith when I cannot see around the next bend, and remind me that You are always faithful to guide those who follow You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

To read more 5 Minutes with God devotionals click here.