HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 141
page A139
What frustrates God?
• PSA L M 7 8 :4 0 -4 2 | Oh, how often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and
grieved his heart. . . . Again and again they tested God’s patience and provoked the Holy
One of Israel. They did not remember his power and how he rescued them from their
enemies.
• H O SE A 6 :4 | “O Israel and Judah, what should I do with you?” asks the Lord. “For your
love vanishes like the morning mist and disappears like dew in the sunlight.”
It is frustrating to God to give unending love, mercy, and forgiveness to his people, only to
see them block these blessings and starve their souls in a spiritual desert.
PROMISE FROM GOD
• I SA I A H 2 6 :3 | You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are
fixed on you!
How can I face the future when it is so uncertain?
• H E B R E W S 1 3 :8 | Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
• PSA L M 1 2 1 :8 | The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and
forever.
You can face the uncertain future because you have an unchanging God who loves and
guides you. As the old saying puts it: We know not what the future holds, but we know
who holds the future.
• J O H N 1 6 :3 3 | “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because
I have overcome the world.”
Jesus never promised a problem-free life; in fact, he guaranteed just the opposite. So
don’t be surprised by hard times or be afraid of them. Jesus is greater than any problem
you will ever encounter.
• MAT T H E W 6 :3 4 | “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.
Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
HelpFinder
If we saw too much of the future, we’d either be very afraid of the bad things ahead or
get very cocky about our accomplishments. The future can be scary because no one
truly knows what will happen tomorrow or the next day, how their life will turn out, how
long they will live, or what will become of their family and friends. And for many, their
greatest fear is what happens after death. Is there a future after we die? God tells us
there is and that we can determine what our future will look like for all eternity. In our
present life, we all will probably live for less than a hundred years. In our eternal life on
the new earth, one hundred million years will still be just the beginning. Amazingly, God
has determined that how you live during your short time on earth will determine your
future for all eternity.
Wondering what unique role God has planned for us in eternity gives meaning to our
troubles and adversity today. When you are absolutely convinced that God will keep his
promises to you found in his Word, you will want to follow him without hesitation. If your
mind and heart are truly in tune with his will, you won’t be going where you don’t want to
go. Then tomorrow you will see God’s plan for you more clearly than today, and each day
thereafter your eternal future comes more and more into focus. God has a definite plan
for you now and for your future, but he doesn’t reveal it all at once. He wants you to trust
him each step of the way. The key is to realize that God is able to do anything he promises, and when that happens, the troubles of this world are put in perspective because
you know that your future—for all eternity—is secure. This gives you peace no matter
what happens. Since God alone knows the future, who can plan your future better than
he? By aligning your vision with God’s vision for your life, you will be able to navigate
your future with purpose and clarity.
F
Future See also Heaven/Eternal Life; Salvation; Will of God