As I sat reading the Bible this morning I could see the sun shining brightly outside, but one of the windows was so dirty I could not make out distinctly what was on the other side. That image shouted to me of how we see our futures.
I’d guess there are a many of us who have a fair amount of certainty about how the next few days or weeks will play out for us. And there are plenty who really feel like they are ‘hanging by a thread’ not knowing at all what the future holds… everyone else falls somewhere between.
Personally, I can say with reasonable certainty what I will be doing in the next few days and weeks, but the farther out in the future we go, the more question marks I see.
This is where faith in the goodness of our Creator comes in. Like many people, I have a reasonable idea of my gifts, talents and training. I have hopes and desires for my future. I see a few things I can do to work myself toward the direction of those hopes, however, so much looks fuzzy and uncertain from where I stand today.
Can you relate?
Where can we find peace and confidence in the uncertainty of a dimly lit image of ourselves and our futures? The position of true shalom is one of humbly accepting that we really do not have complete control over our futures. Not everything depends on us. Our spheres of control are much smaller than we care to believe much of the time. Only the one who made us sees the beginning to the end. It is scary to let go unless we can grasp His motivation [bold mine]:
1 Corinthians 13:11-13 (Amplified Bible)
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now [in this time of imperfection] we see in a mirror dimly [a blurred reflection, a riddle, an enigma], but then [when the time of perfection comes we will see reality] face to face. Now I know in part [just in fragments], but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known [by God].13 And now there remain: faith [abiding trust in God and His promises], hope [confident expectation of eternal salvation], love [unselfish love for others growing out of God’s love for me], these three [the choicest graces]; but the greatest of these is love.
If we think God is capricious,[fickle, inconstant, changeable, variable, mercurial, volatile, unpredictable, temperamental] then we will never find lasting peace.
If we believe our Creator is first motivated by pure love that never changes, and that same Creator has both the will and the power to affect our future for good. Then it becomes possible to drop the tension from our shoulders and begin to breathe.
Abba, Thank You for Your perfect love for us. We praise you because You do not see through a glass dimly! You see, understand and actively work to bring us into right relationship with You and the world around us. Thank You that all Your promises are ‘Yes’ and ‘Amen’ and they are available to all those who seek You in truth. Abba, in those moments when our circumstances look and feel particularly dim, we ask You to shine Your light and Your truth to lead us on a level path, for our sake, but especially for Your glory! Amen
