I enjoy watching the NFL every week and consider myself well-informed and knowledgeable about the sport since I keep up with the games, players, and stories all season long.

Heading into the season and looking across the league, I had my predictions and expectations of what would and should happen. Then, once the season began, I quickly realized I didn’t really know.

Admittedly, I’m not as all-knowing as I pretend to be and couldn’t have predicted specific injuries, poor play, or off-the-field issues.

I never would have imagined that some players would have such slow starts or that others would emerge as key contributors out of nowhere.

As much as I think I’m aware of what decisions coaches should make and what teams should win each game, I’m often not in the know.

This confession happens weekly, and Sunday’s results remind us that we’re very limited in understanding how games will play out and why teams do certain things. Here are a few examples:

• I don’t know how the Broncos have won two in a row on the road, including a 10-9 win against the Jets yesterday.
• I don’t know why the Eagles are so bad and why Jalen Hurts continues to struggle.
• I don’t know how the Vikings keep winning with Sam Darnold as their quarterback.
• I don’t know what the Jaguars will do after their 0-4 start.
• I don’t know what changed for the Saints or why they were so unstoppable on offense during the first two weeks.
• I don’t know how Joe Flacco keeps winning, no matter what team he’s on.
• I don’t know why anyone doubted the Ravens after their 0-2 start.

We all like to pretend to be NFL prognosticators and make definitive statements about what will happen, and we want to have our opinions proven as facts.

But the truth is, so often, we don’t know. We don’t know why coaches do certain things or why teams play so differently from one week to the next, and we usually don’t know how the season will play out.

Guess what? That’s okay because the NFL is so much fun, and it’s one of the reasons why we keep watching!

When it comes to life, are we willing to admit when we don’t know?

We like to have all the answers, sometimes pretending like we’re all-knowing and claiming to have everything figured out about what should happen in our lives.

We like to make bold predictions about what we will do and when we will do it and have strong opinions about what’s best.

However, James 4:13-16 (NLT) warns us, “Look here, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.’ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow?

“Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.’ Otherwise, you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.”

We must remain humble about what we will do and what to expect in the future. We don’t know the wonderful blessings ahead or the devastating struggles awaiting us.

We don’t know how we will get through a tough season or how God will use it for His purposes. We don’t always know why God allows certain things to happen or why He doesn’t stop things.

We don’t know when He will show up in incredible ways and open unexpected doors. We don’t understand why certain things are taking place and why God hasn’t revealed the answers we’ve been waiting for.

Romans 11:33 (NLT) declares, “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His ways!”

Isaiah 55:8 (NLT) says, “‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.'”

We don’t always know what God is up to or how things will play out. Of course, God reveals so much to us in His Word, and we gain knowledge and wisdom as we seek Him.

But, often, we’re not in the know, and we have a limited understanding of elements beyond our control and what’s to come in the future.

Guess what? That’s okay because we serve a God who knows what He’s doing, and we need to trust Him!

We need to accept that although we don’t have all the answers, He does and guides us each step of the way. When wrestling with questions and concerns about the how, why’s, and what’s of life, we should willingly say, “I don’t know, but I trust God.”

Today, let’s remember that He is with us, loves us, and is faithful, so we can “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil” (Proverbs 3:5-7; ESV).

I’m Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, there is so much about life and the future that I don’t know. Please help me be okay with that, as You remind me that You are in control and worthy of my trust. Show me the way to go and help me remain humble and open-handed to whatever plans You have for me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.