Faith Isn’t a Feeling—It’s a Choice: Trusting God One Step at a Time

And if you leave God’s paths and go astray, you will hear a voice behind you say, “No, this is the way; walk here.”

Isaiah 30:21, TLB

I have always loved reading. Books have felt like good friends for as long as I can remember. My mom was the librarian at the elementary school I attended, so while the after-school kids were swinging on monkey bars, I curled up beneath the shelves in the library, completely immersed in stories.

I still remember getting in trouble in sixth grade for sneaking a novel under my history book during class. I slid the bottom edge of my book slightly forward so I could finish the chapter I’d been reading between classes—too hooked to wait. The story had completely captured my attention, and I was blissfully unaware of the classroom noise and rather droning, nasal tone of my teacher, until everything fell strangely quiet. When I looked up, my teacher’s eyes were boring a hole straight through me. I was busted. Red-faced and feeling about the size of a gnat, I folded the book and slid it into my bookbag. I don’t think I ever did that again…but really—history? Bleh.

Even after that embarrassing moment, my love for stories never changed. I could read the same book more than once and love it just as much the second—or fifth—time. Series were my favorite. I’d get to know the characters and walk through several adventures with them like trusted companions. But one kind of book was very interesting to me: the choose-your-own-adventure kind. Do you remember those? At the end of certain chapters, you’d make a decision—turn to page 72 to enter the forest, or page 81 to stay in the village. Every choice shaped the story and led to a different conclusion.

Let God Guide Your Story

And this morning, as I remembered those old favorites, I realized something: life is a lot like that. In life, there are turns with every choice.

Every day, we face countless decisions—what to say, how to respond, what to pursue, who to forgive, whether to trust. Life is a winding adventure, and no two paths look quite the same. But unlike a book, we don’t get to peek ahead at how things will turn out. When we look to the Lord to lead us, however, each page in our story becomes written, not by chance, but by trust in the One who knows the ending and the best turn to make every step along the way.

That’s why faith matters so much. And here’s the thing I’ve learned, especially in the years when life hasn’t gone “according to plan”:

Faith isn’t a feeling. It’s a decision.

Faith is deciding to believe something before you can see it while being convinced of its reality. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith, “Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]”(AMP). It’s not believing for something after you have it. There’s no faith needed for that. It’s believing you have it before you can see it, touch it, or hear it. It’s knowing that the thing you’re believing for is God’s will because it’s in His Word or matching with His good, loving character and that you will have that thing in your possession in the natural (experienced with your five senses) in God’s perfect timing.

Faith That Leaves a Legacy: What Hebrews 11:2 Teaches Us

Verse two of Hebrews 11 says, “For by [faith—trust and holy fervor born of faith] the men of old had divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report” (AMPC). The transliteration of the phrase “obtained a good report” here is the word martyreo, which means “to be a witness, to bear witness, i.e. to affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something, or that he knows it because taught by divine revelation or inspiration. To give (not to keep back) testimony.”[1]

You can’t bear witness to something you don’t have or haven’t experienced, and it was by their faith that godly testimony was born to them. Their faith caused the good report to be obtained. It caused them to obtain the promise of God. It gave them the content of their testimony, and because of their persistence in faith, they left a legacy that outlived them.

So how do you get the faith to believe for things you don’t have as though you already do? The Word tells us in Romans 10:17 that faith comes by hearing the Word of God (paraphrase). The Message version reads:

Choosing Faith Over Feelings

Reading and hearing God’s Word—reading it for yourself and hearing the truth of God’s Word preached—that is how your faith, trust in God, and confidence in His Word grows. It’s not about waiting to feel brave or confident or certain—it’s about choosing to trust even when the way is dim. It’s waking up and saying, “Lord, I choose You today. I choose to believe Your Word. I choose to rely on You and to trust You.” Even when your heart feels unsure or heavy. Even when you can’t understand how you will ever possess the promises for which you are believing.

Isaiah 30:21 says,
“Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left” (NLT).

I love this verse. There are others I hear more often that remind us to trust God. A sweet friend recently told me she leans heavily on Proverbs 3:5-6 when she isn’t sure which direction she should pursue. This verse reminds me, however, that God is not only trustworthy, but wanting to tell us the path of life to choose. I don’t have to guess, I just have to listen. I don’t always know what to do—but I know who to listen for.

How to Hear God’s Voice in the Noise of Everyday Life

The question is, how do we make the most out of our faith-filled adventure-life? As a believer, the best way is to invite the Lord to lead you throughout the day, intentionally listening for His voice! I often pray, “God, give me big ears in the Spirit”—ears that hear His whispers clearly. I say, “Lord, help me be quick to hear and quick to obey.” Because let’s be honest—some days are noisy. Some seasons feel foggy. But whether there is quiet or chaos, God speaks.

And I don’t always get it right. But Isaiah 30:18 reminds us:
“Therefore the Lord waits [expectantly] and longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed (happy, fortunate) are all those who long for Him [since He will never fail them]” (AMP).

A portion of that verse in The Living Bible reads, “For the Lord is faithful to His promises” (Isaiah 30:18b).

What a tender image: our God, waiting eagerly to guide us—to give us the directions we need to make every correct choice, and longing to show us compassion when we miss it or disobey His nudges. He’s not pacing Heaven impatiently, ready to punish us for the wrong turns. He’s leaning toward us, gently offering direction, grace, and unfailing love.

So if today feels uncertain—if your heart is tired from trying to make the “right” choice or you’re standing at a crossroads wondering which way to go—remember this:

You are not alone on the page you’re living.

God is not distant, waiting for you to figure it all out. He is near—whispering, guiding, gently pointing the way. You don’t have to feel spiritual fireworks to walk by faith. Just choose Him. One step, one whispered prayer, one act of obedience at a time. And when you take those steps in faith (even the unsteady ones) it pleases God. Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (KJV). Pursue God. Get in His Word so you can know Him, know His will for your life, and know for what you can believe. It pleases Him for you to walk in faith, and there is a reward for your diligent pursuit of Him.

Let God Write Your Story: You Can Trust Him With the Unknown

The life you’re living really is a choose-your-own-adventure. But when you invite God to lead, the pages unfold with peace, even in the unknown.

So remember:

• You don’t need perfect clarity to take the next step.
• You don’t need to feel brave to walk in faith.
• You just need to choose Him.

One whispered prayer.
One quiet yes.
One small step in His direction.

And that step—however wobbly—is precious to Him.

You may not know what tomorrow holds, but you can trust the One who holds the pen. This life really is a choose-your-own-adventure—but when you place your story in God’s hands, every chapter, every detour, and even every delay is woven in with purpose and peace.

So lean in.
Listen close.
He’s speaking.

And the next page?
It just might be the beginning of something beautiful.

Your next faith-filled adventure might be right around the corner. You get to choose—
But you don’t have to choose alone.

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[i] G3140 – martyreo – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3140/kjv/tr/0-1/

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