By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.– Hebrews 11:8-10
Here we are on the first day of a new year, facing the future. What else can we do? Trying to forget the fact doesn’t work– life goes on regardless. Fearing it just makes matters worse. So we must face it, although we don’t know what it holds – and it’s better that we don’t. However, as Christians we ought to consider the facts God has given. We are aware of some things to come. We have read God’s promises which assure us that, regardless of what trials we must go through, the best is yet to come. That’s something we should never forget.
Paul Chappell recently wrote something about Charles Spurgeon that caught my attention. He said: “Spurgeon routinely spoke to crowds of 6,000 or more at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London. On New Year’s Eve in 1891, he spoke to only a handful of friends who were with him in Mentone, France, where he had been seeking treatment for his painful illness. Spurgeon did not know when he spoke that night that in less than a month he would see the Lord, for whom he had faithfully preached, face to face. Although, Spurgeon did know that he trusted God.”
Spurgeon said, “Could we procure a telescope which would enable us to see to the end of the year, would we be wise to use it? I think not. Great mercy has hung up a veil between us and the future; and there let it hang.” The following morning he preached a brief New Year’s sermon at his hotel. “The vista of a praiseful life will never close, but continue throughout eternity. From psalm to psalm, from hallelujah to hallelujah, we will ascend the hill of the Lord where we will bow before the Divine Majesty in the bliss of endless adoration.”
How thankful we ought to be that we have divine assurance that all shall end well. To know that the best is yet to come gives us the courage to face the challenges of life. Although we don’t know what the future holds we know Who holds the future. That makes all the difference in the world. We can trust God to get us through whatever He brings us to. We are in good hands!– HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
