Future: February 27, 2014

TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY FEBRUARY 27, 2014.

FUTURE

DEFINITION:

Yet to come or happen; relating to a later time.

SCRIPTURE:

If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that. James 4:15.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Jeremiah was a prophet chosen by God to bring a gloomy message to Judah of the coming destruction of Jerusalem, in the very near future, unless they repented of their sins. Judah rejected Jeremiah’s warning and Jerusalem was destroyed and the people were taken captive to Babylon. The exiles had no hope for the future. The 29th chapter of Jeremiah is a text of Jeremiah’s letter he sent to the captives. It was a word of hope from God assuring them of a future because God controls the future and He has plans to bring them back from captivity. (Jeremiah 29:14)

Time magazine in a 1992 issue had an article titled “BEYOND THE YEAR 2000”. This article was sharing with their readers what to expect in the future -- the new millennium.  In this article they wrote: “The first rule of forecasting should be that the unforeseen keeps making the future unforeseeable.”

James states it this way: “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’”. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow much less in the future. (James 4:13-14)

Time magazine’s article acknowledges that no one knows what the future will bring and that man has no control over the future. No one can foresee the future, but we can know the one who not only foresees the future but controls the future. Any plans we make that omit God are foolish. Put God’s desires at the center of your planning and He will honor them.

Many people begin a statement that they may make about the future with -- “The Lord willing.” This is a clear and concise message acknowledging that God’s overruling hand controls the future. James tells us that we should daily say that “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” (James 5:15). As we look ahead to the future as believers in Jesus we need to keep God firmly in view. We can face the future with confidence when we include Him in our plans. Our plans will disappoint us if we leave God out of them.

Those of us who know Jesus Christ as our Savior can face the future with complete joy. The future of the human race is in God’s hands. We have a choice. We can confidently place our own hands in the outstretched hands of God or we can run from Him and turn our backs on Him.

Even if we choose to flee from Him now, we never will be able to escape His hand. At a future time, His hand will hold the gavel of judgment. If we place our hand in His now in trust and faith we will never fear that gavel of judgment.

Our future has been secured by Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection from the grave. He is alive and all who believe and receive Him will spend their future in eternity with Him. Nothing can change that.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I John 1:3.

That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

PRAYER:

Thank You for dying on the cross for me so that I can spend the future in my heavenly home with You. May the practical words of wisdom that I read in James be accepted by my family to guide us to live lives pleasing to You. Help us to grow together in our love for You and may we desire to serve and honor You with all our plans for the future.