My husband likes to read from the Our Daily Bread in the mornings at work before he begins his day. I have always looked to this publication since I was a teenager for a way to get an uplifting encouragement and applicable Bible verse in a short amount of time. Although all the columns are always wonderful to read, when my husband thinks it is extremely applicable to our current situation, he makes sure I read that day as well. So, I got the email this morning to read today. The funny thing is, I had wanted to post on this verse and topic recently. In fact, I had already begun a post several weeks back with this very title. The thing is, I sit down with topics in mind, but they can change as I am typing. So I am sure I changed my topic and never finished this one. So what better to do than to discuss it now. First, here is today's Our Daily Bread...
Facing The Future
January 5, 2012 — by David C. McCasland
While going through some old files, I came across a 1992 special issue of TIME magazine titled “Beyond the Year 2000: What To Expect in the New Millennium.” It was fascinating to read the predictions made 2 decades ago about what the future would hold. Some general observations were on target, but no one foresaw many of the events and innovations that have radically changed our lives. The most telling statement to me was, “The first rule of forecasting should be that the unforeseen keeps making the future unforeseeable.”
James reminds us that any view of the future that omits God is foolish and proud. “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. . . . Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that’” (James 4:13-15).
Many people used to begin their statement of plans with, “Lord willing.” The phrase may have become trite, but the acknowledgment of God’s overruling hand is not.
As we look ahead with God firmly in view, we can face the future with confidence in His loving plan.
God holds the future in His hands
With grace sufficient day by day,
Through good or ill He gently leads,
If we but let Him have His way. —Rohrs
With grace sufficient day by day,
Through good or ill He gently leads,
If we but let Him have His way. —Rohrs
Those who know Christ as Savior can face the future with joy.
______________________________________________________________________
Around these here parts, the phrase "Lord willing" can be drawn out as only a good southerner can do to say, "If the Good Lord's willing _______". You can fill in the blank with so many other simple sayings like, "we'll see you next week" for example. No matter how you end the statement, the speaker is saying that the Lord has control of what is going to happen in the days to come. We are to follow God's will, and He is to have control over our lives, both the good and the bad things that will occur. We can plan ahead, but those plans are to include God. We are not to worry if things will turn out a certain way. We are to leave it up to God's divine will for our lives.
I love the verses the saying is based on, "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanished away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this or that." James 5:14-15.
As the verses say, we do not know what tomorrow holds. We can plan to do this or that, but those plans are in the hands of God. One of my favorite sayings is, "Do not worry about tomorrow. Remember today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday." You might have to read it a time or two, but it is oh so true. God gave us today so let's live for Him today! Each day we get, is a gift from Him. We do not need to waste our time or energy worrying about what might or might not happen tomorrow.
Today's Verse
Matther 6:34 "Take therefore no thoughts for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof."
Let's vow to leave tomorrow in our Lord's hands. Let's not worry about what is to come. Let's plan for the future, but know that it is ultimately up to the One that holds the future. If the Good Lord's willing, I'll meet you back here on Monday! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment