The future is a blessing and a curse. Sometimes we look forward to it and other times we dread it. It’s a slippery creature that we can’t quite get our hands on. It’s forever out of reach; like a wild horse, unable to be bridled, impossible to control and always charging forward. Sometimes we want to ride it off into the sunset and other times we cower in fear of being trampled by it. But one thing remains consistent: the future is always unknown. Just when we think we are about to catch it, we cross into the present and the future is off and running. It is always on the move.
There is only One to whom the future is known and thankfully He’s there to help us. I mentioned last week that my family is embarking on an adventure. The tricky thing is I don’t know where we’re headed! My husband is looking for a job and that could involve moving. So, we might be looking for a new house, school, and friends, too! Thankfully, in this season of uncertainty, we can take great comfort in God’s omniscience. Because He knows, in great detail, what’s next. I am so glad I don’t have to carry the weight of determining my future!
The problem is, I often do.
I relentlessly try to wrestle the future to the ground, attempting to control how it will unfold. But, as we all know, our tomorrows cannot be had. So, I am left shaking my fist at the future. How dare you announce change and leave me with nothing but uncertainty! Thankfully, though, God provides a way to deal with those unknown, unanswered details:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6.
Heard these verses before? They might be the most quoted Bible verses, next to John 3:16! But notoriety often brings familiarity and familiarity often dilutes them. In other words, though these verses are popular, we tend to overlook them. We file them in the “I Know That Verse” category and don’t let the truth of them sink in.
Let’s reread them. Notice there are three actions on our part and one on His. God knew we would need more tasks than Him. Restless energy, right? When things are uncertain, we feel like we need to do something. But though we have been given three tasks, we often ditch them and try to accomplish His instead. Ever tried to straighten out a crooked path? Good luck with that. You may think your three tasks are hard, but untwisting a twisted road is pretty tricky. Yet, being over-achievers, we attempt it anyway. We assume common sense will smooth out any journey. But, try as we might, it doesn’t work.
The future is always on the move. But instead of trying to tackle it to the ground, let it run ahead of you. And instead of focusing on the twists and turns the future has paved, focus on the One who can straighten it out. Allowing you to be on the move in the right direction!
Be Intentional Identify your crooked path and choose to stop straightening it. Tell God you want Him alone to straighten it and to help you stop doing His task. When you catch yourself in alignment mode again, repeat the same prayer. Next week we will discuss how to carry out our tasks, but for this week let’s stop trying to do His.
