By David ReayTuesday 17 Jan 2023LifeWords DevotionalsDevotionsReading Time: 2 minutes
“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. (NIV)
It would be a very mixed blessing to know our detailed futures. It is perhaps the work of a merciful God that he keeps us in the dark. We do make plans; we do consider possibilities and probabilities. But we can never be sure exactly how things will work out.
So, it was with Paul as he farewelled the leaders of the church at Ephesus. He knew he was headed to Jerusalem. He knew it would be no picnic. But he didn’t know the details. Instead of speculating on what these might be, he focussed on the task Jesus had given him to do.
Faith does not require us to figure out what might or might not happen. Faith is trusting that whatever happens our God will be there with us. We can go crazy trying to figure out the future. We can wear ourselves out by trying to bend the surrounding world and other people to our will and desires.
Far better to see faith as being prepared to face whatever risks may befall us in the future, with no certainty other than that we will find God faithful. All else is essentially unknown. All else is secondary. As long as God is faithful, we can enter whatever future he has in store for us.
Blessings
David