When You Don’t Know What to DoBy Guest Writer: Pastor Phil (My Dad)

If you’ve been around me long enough, you know I’m always encouraging others. I love to pour into people, speak life, and point them toward hope. But I’ll be honest—sometimes I need encouraging too. This past Sunday was one of those moments.

The truth is, crossroads in life are very real. And they aren’t about choosing “the road less traveled,” because the road you’re standing in front of has never been traveled before—it’s your road, your life’s journey, and no one else’s. The question isn’t simply which way looks better—it’s which path will take me closer to my purpose and the expected end God has for me?

When I truly don’t know what to do, I’ve learned one thing without a doubt—God surely does know. That’s why this message from my dad, who is also my pastor, blessed me so much. It reminded me to trust the process, trust God, and lean on the One who already knows the way.

I believe this message is for someone else today, too.

I believe this message today is timely for someone who is standing at a crossroad in life. You’re facing a mountainous decision that refuses to move. You’re walking through a valley that’s unclear, tangled with confusion, and you don’t know which path to take. Or maybe you’re in a wilderness season—just existing, just surviving. You feel hopeless. Joy and peace are gone. Your nights are restless, and your mind won’t stop turning.

If this checks even one of your boxes, you’re in the right place at the right time.

You may be closer to your breakthrough than you realize—on the verge of stepping into your “Promised Land,” the place of abundance, peace, and Kingdom prosperity in the Holy Ghost.

Am I talking to somebody today who needs encouragement? Someone who needs a word of wisdom, rooted and grounded in TRUTH? Someone who is ready for a life-transforming breakthrough—moving from confusion to clarity, from division to divine direction—because you feel like you’re standing at the edge of spiritual collapse?

A few weeks ago, I stood by the ocean, watching the powerful waves roll in. I thought about Job—how in a single day he lost his family, his marriage, his wealth, and his health. And yet, the Lord told him: the waves of destruction may come, but I say to them, “Come this far and no further.” Then they must retreat.

Two words have been stirring in my spirit lately: Converge or Diverge.

Converge—come together in fellowship with the Lord and with other believers, according to His divine plan.

Diverge—separate yourself from fellowship and the assembling together.

The Apostle Paul said in Romans 8:35, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” And in Acts 20:24 he answers, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”

Last year, the Lord had me minister two months on repentance. Romans 2:4 reminds us that “the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.” Not long after that, I faced a ministry situation where I honestly said, “I don’t know what to do.”

Thank God for my wife—my helpmeet, my rock, my stabilizer—who looked at me and said, “When you don’t know… the Lord knows.”

It took me until February to hear the full depth of that truth. And what I heard was this: A Fresh Start. I first spoke it to our leadership, and then to the church—A Fresh Start.

But the lesson didn’t end there. Just a few weeks ago, I was again faced with not knowing what to do. I wanted with all my heart to take the high road—the road less traveled. The valley of confusion was yelling at me. But again, my wife reminded me: “When you don’t know what to do, the Lord knows.” It shook me like a spiritual earthquake.

On Friday, I walked into the bathroom and saw a scripture that had been sitting there for years, waiting for this moment. The next morning, I listened to a message on Jeremiah 29:11 from a pastor who had passed away in a plane crash. The Lord was speaking again.

So today, I leave you with this:

When you don’t know what to do, go to Jeremiah 29:11. Seek God’s divine plan, purpose, and path for your life.

Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV) – For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Friend, when you don’t know what to do—when the path ahead is unclear—remember this: The Lord knows. And His plan for you is always for your good, your peace, and your hope-filled future.

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