Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15 NIV
It is important we live each day in servitude, keeping our focus on the Lord. We want our head to hit the pillow each night knowing we overcame and finished the day well.
We are told not to assume future endeavors, rather to allow the Lord to lead us each day as we move forward.
Jesus says:
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Matthew 6:33-34 NIV
We all have our own examples of times when we’ve taken a present event and played out its future in our mind. Many times this “fast forwarding” is a means of bringing a current event to its finality. But how many times do we see God’s hand in that future scenario? Instead, we often envision how it will play out for us, without considering the Lord’s future actions in our lives. But this is where faith should come in.
It is written:
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Hebrews 11:8-10 NIV
Abraham may have fast forwarded in his mind, it is not written so we don’t really know, but it didn’t overcome his faith in God’s handling of his future.
It is also written:
By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones. Hebrews 11:22 NIV
And what happened?
Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.” Exodus 13:19 NIV
These biblical heroes didn’t look too far down the road, but used faith to guide their path.
Paul, at the tail end of his journey, did look a bit ahead. This look was not one of distress and planning, it was of certainty. Just a short time before his death, he wrote:
“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:6-8 NIV
Paul fast forwarded and saw Glory at the hand of God.
This was his, and our future certainty.
Keep walking with the Lord each day and remember to be an over comer and great finisher.
Our future lies in our Faith!
Praise Him!
Barnabas
Special thanks to Barnabas for this guest submission.
Photo by John Towner on Unsplash