Who Is Your Future Self?
Welcome back to Proverbs Pathways. King Solomon tells us how to move ahead God’s way. As someone said, “The future’s not what it used to be – and neither am I.” But Solomon says, “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.” (Proverbs 23:17,18) Here are a few future truths that may strike a chord in you:
- Trust God and be future secure. You and I cannot see into the future no matter how hard we try or want to. God has made this happen. Why? So we will trust Him and Him alone with our immediate, short-range, medium-range, long-range and eternal future. As Scripture says, “Trust in the Lord and do good.”
- Our future is an emotional issue. Solomon said, “Don’t envy.” In other words, don’t covet anyone else’s future. Your future is a “work in progress” with the Lord. Want a glimpse of what it can be? Read Jeremiah 29:11-14 if you feel like you’ve been captured and cut off from the future you prefer. There’s a new day ahead.
- God’s #1 “future strategy” in our lives? The clearest picture in Scripture is that God doesn’t prepare the future for you, rather, He prepares you for the future. Do you recognize anything in your life now that’s testing, preparing, trying, enlarging you for for the future? Sit up and take notice – God is preparing you.
- There are two ways to face the future: One is fear – man fear. Afraid of facing it, fearful others will take it, losing it, misusing it, sharing it, having it cut short or cut off. The other is God fear. As Solomon said, “…but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.” Biblical fear of God most often means awesome respect! And the result is “…surely a future hope for you, your hope will not be cut off.”
Finally, I encourage you to trust your past, present and future to the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who died on the cross and rose from the dead to guarantee your future. How do you see your future self? Are you committed to Christ and the future that’s embedded in salvation? Scripture says, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved… anyone who trusts in Him will not be put to shame… everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”(Romans 10:9)
With God your future is your friend,
Chuck Brannon, Pastor
P.S.: Share your story or have a question? Let me hear from you.