Living with Purpose by Matt Dobson
“Tell Me My Future” Part II
A sign once read, “If you lead a good life, go to Sunday School and church, and say your prayers every night, when you die, you’ll go to Florida! As great as Florida is and as much as I enjoy living here, it’s amazing to know there is a place greater than the beauty of our beaches, woods, wildlife, rivers, crops, and sunsets. That place is called Heaven. Heaven is the future dwelling place for all Christians. For the time you have left on earth, your future will be as big, as bright, and successful as you want it to be. It’s your choice. It’s a matter of who you listen to and who you follow.
Last week we addressed the dangers of consulting fortune-tellers and mediums concerning your future. As a reminder, the Old and New Testament speaks of avoiding association with fortune-tellers who claim to have the answers about your future (Isaiah 8:19 and Acts 16:16). Many Christians of today are unaware of the strength and power the spirit world has over humans. Paul tells us we are in a battle with the evil spiritual entities and must prepare ourselves by relying on God and the light and not the dark side (Eph. 6:10-18). God will protect you from all enemies and the evil they plan.
The future is intriguing and we want to know about it. I’ve found in my own spiritual walk that the Christian life is adventurous and never boring. I wake up excited every day to see what God has in store. God’s purpose and future for you is as real as the air you breath. You must make the connection with Him to learn the steps of success for your life.
Even with the economic down-turn, an unstable job market and the threat of disease, we can be grateful for the good news of God’s goodness, which steadies us during unsteady times. As Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled…in my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-4). These are Jesus’ words concerning your future. The sad reality is that many people in the world reject this future hope. We search and search for a place where we are known and loved. That’s what we want…love. You search, though you may not know it, for a kingdom that will grant you all the things you think are good for you. The Bible tells us God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19). You search for a future that possess’ the treasures of your happiness. Whether in places, people, or purpose, you search for a future and a place where you will be content. We all long to fill our “soul pockets” with the everlasting joy. This is what we hope our future is about.
As you seek to strengthen your relationship with God, you stand in an unshakable Kingdom that is present and future; earthly and heavenly. Living at the in-between puts us on life’s cutting–edge and keeps us from being dulled by the forms of the world.
Knowing you have a future; what should be your attitude towards it? First, understand God reveals only what we need to know to obey Him (Deut. 29:29) —“The secret things belong to the Lord our God. But the things that are made known belong to us and to our children forever, so we may obey all the words of this law.” There are some secrets about the future God has chosen not to reveal to us, possibly for three (3) reasons: 1) Our finite minds can’t fully understand the infinite aspect of God’s nature, 2) We have to grow up (mature) before He shows us, and 3) God is all-knowing and we don’t have the capacity to know and understand everything that happens.
Another aspect of your future is to understand it’s under God’s control. When God reveals the future to you, His purpose goes beyond satisfying your curiosity. He wants to change our present behavior because of what we know about the future. Whether it seems good or heart-breaking, knowledge about the future should lead to obedience in the present. It’s as simple as that. In Mark 13, Jesus speaks about future events and things to come. He says be careful that no one leads you the wrong way (v.5). He gives the critical advice to watch and pray (v.33). It was Jesus’ policy to warn his followers about the future, then and now, so we can learn how to live in the present. Many things are currently taking place to fulfill Jesus’ predictions. You and I must remain hopeful, positive, spiritually alert, and prepared at all times.
Obeying God in your present life is more important than guessing about the future. There has never been any reason given by God not to trust Him, because He has never broken a promise and has shown how much He loves mankind (John 3:16). And finally, we don’t need to fear the future as long as we trust God (II Chronicles 20:6). Despite what your future holds, God tells you to trust Him. You may be uncertain or even fearful about your future, but you don’t have to be. If you know God, you know He is in control. And if He’s in control, we can trust Him enough to follow Christ with confidence that He knows your future and He wants to bless you in it. Having a church family that loves you is one of those blessings. Go to church on Sunday and let God lead you day by day in every way.
This weekly column is written by Matt Dobson. A graduate of Florida State University, Univ. of West Florida, and Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, he is Pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church in Jay, Florida and a 1LT Chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserves. Matt can be reached by email: rmdobson@liberty.edu. He welcomes your thoughts concerning faith, belief, and Christian living. Visit the Living With Purpose website at www.living-with-purpose.org
