What Lies Behind And What Lies Ahead (Part 2)
by Chris Simmons
Having reflected on what lies in our past last week, we also need to consider what lies ahead in our lives based on what God’s word reveals.
What Lies Ahead
We don’t know! The bottom line is we don’t know what the future holds or how long our future may be. Solomon in his wisdom wrote that we simply do not know what will happen in our future or when events may take place (Ecclesiastes 3:22; 6:12; 8:7). We will comment on this passage again later, but for now let us note that James teaches us that “you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (James 4:14).
What we do know is that with whatever time we do have upon earth, both good days and bad days will come. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, as he observed life “under the sun,” that life contains both. For example, life includes times of weeping and times of laughter (verse 4) as well as moments of “embracing” and times to “shun embracing” (verse 5). Later Solomon spoke of “the day of prosperity” and “the day of adversity” (Ecclesiastes 7:14) that compose the days of our life. Both will come; we just don’t know the sequence in which they come (again, note James 4:14).
Plans will be made. Just because we don’t know what the future holds doesn’t mean we aren’t to make plans. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 16:1-3, “The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the LORD weighs the motives. Commit your works to the LORD, and your plans will be established.” Plans are important (Proverbs 21:5) but we need to understand a couple of important points about them. First, all of our plans should be consistent with, and based on, the revealed will of God. Second, we need to appreciate the responsibility we bear to “commit [our] works to the Lord” while we make our plans. Finally, we to need respect the fact that God has the authority to give an “answer” to our plans and understand that they don’t always work out the way we think they should (Proverbs 19:21). Even Paul spoke of plans he made that didn’t come to fruition (Romans 1:13).
The lesson James teaches us is don’t be arrogant or presumptuous! James 4:13-17, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that.’ But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin.” Our responsibility is to know God’s will, put God first, and trust His wisdom and providence to establish our plans that are in accordance with His will.
Opportunities will come. With whatever amount of time we have yet to come, be assured that opportunities to be of service to God and others will come. Jesus said in John 4:35, “Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.” Will we be looking for such opportunities? Will we exercise wisdom in regards to those opportunities that come our way? Paul wrote in Colossians 4:5, “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.” We need to pray for the wisdom to recognize the opportunities, the courage to act, and the wisdom to make the most of it. Will we be ready (Titus 3:1; cf. II Timothy 4:2)?
Temptations will also come. The warning to all of us is to “take heed” because we will be tempted (I Corinthians 10:12-13). We are promised that there will always be a “way of escape” and that we won’t be presented with a temptation that we can’t overcome. The question is, will we put ourselves in harm’s way? Romans 13:13-14 teaches us that we are to commit to not intentionally providing for the opportunity for temptation and sin and to be ready to “flee” (I Corinthians 6:18; I Timothy 6:11; II Timothy 2:22).
God will provide what we need. The promise is simple: if we seek Him first, God has promised to bless us with what we need (Matthew 6:33). We don’t have to worry and be anxious and are in fact commanded not be so (Matthew 6:31, 34). The question is, will we learn to be content (Philippians 4:11-13; I Timothy 6:6-8)?
A day of judgment will come. When it comes to pass is not known to man but only to God (Matthew 24:36; Acts 17:31). Will we act as if it is not coming and “put off the day of calamity” (Matthew 24:37-39; Amos 6:3)? The final judgment will be certain (Romans 14:10; II Corinthians 5:10), final (Luke 17:26; Revelation 20:10; Hebrews 5:9-6:2; II Thessalonians 1:8-9), universal (Acts 17:30-31; Romans 14:11-12), thorough (Ecclesiastes 12:14; II Corinthians 5:10; I Corinthians 4:5), and fair (Acts 17:31).
An eternal destiny awaits us based on that judgment. We will either be welcomed in or told to depart (Matthew 25:31ff). We will spend eternity with the Lord or be cast forever from His presence (I Thessalonians 4:17; II Thessalonians 1:9). It was the reward of eternal life with the Father in heaven that Paul said “lies ahead” and that he “pressed on” towards every day of his life (Philippians 3:13).