Featured on the blog today is a guest post from Jonathan Abraham, my colleague in Dehradun, India.
Go Joyfully Into the Unknown Future
“Many live in dread of what is coming. Why should we? The unknown puts adventure into life…The unexpected around the corner gives a sense of anticipation and surprise. Thank God for the unknown future.”
E Stanley Jones
The father leads you onto a dark path. By the light that he holds you can only see one step ahead. Your hand is wrapped tight in his. You walk with him, confident and secure that you are being led to the right place.
In our current pandemic-stricken lives, the uncertainty of the future can easily make us fall into anxiety or fear. We want to know when this disease will run its course and end. But our questions run deeper than just the spread of the virus. We want to know how things will turn out in the future, then we can prepare.
The problem (and solution) is that God does not show us the future. Not about the course of corona virus and not about the details of our lives.Yes, we know Jesus will return, there are prophetic glimpses of future events, and we know there will be troubles in between. But the rest of the future is a road hidden in fog.
Why doesn’t God show us more of the future? Perhaps knowing the future makes us depend too much on ourselves, our plans, and our accomplishments; it may cause us to let go of the hand of God. God desires for us to depend and hold on tight to him daily. So how should we face the mystery of the future?
BELIEVE FOR GOD’S PROVISION AND SUFFICIENCY TODAY
God’s Word tells us he knows our needs and reminds us to look outside and see how he provides for the natural world. In faith we trust God to provide for our needs in the present.
STEP INTO TOMORROW WITHOUT ANXIOUSNESS
Jesus said: “Do not be anxious for tomorrow”. Our concerns are to be focused on trusting him and seeking his kingdom today. Expelling our worry about the future helps us to focus on serving God and others today.
GO JOYFULLY INTO THE UNKNOWN FUTURE
The Bible tells us that our destination is a glorious city. Between now and then we can venture into the dark with the one who cares most for us, enjoying him and knowing his grip will not leave us.
