God has given humans the ability to travel into the past or a possible future. Our mind flies forward to see things that are going to happen; that friend we are going to see gives us joy even before he arrives. That rendezvous with the grouch- of-the-week makes us tremble, even before it happens.
A real key in a powerful life is to see what God wants to do before we get there. We don’t always know the specifics but we always know God has this future in his hands. Try to see it the way He wants it to be.
If you want to rip all the joy out of life today, imagine all the bad things that can happen in the future. Corrie Ten Boom once said, ““Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”
At times the future scares me, because I feel inadequate for what I imagine might happen. I also get excited about the future when I see a ton of good things that might await me. What’s the difference?
Most people say that imaginary things aren’t real, but I’m not one of them. It’s crazy the effect they have on our lives. When I see a bear hiding in the darkness near the road I’m traveling on, I’m scared to death whether there is a bear there are not. I tremble, my heart beats faster, my peace is gone.
The bear may be imaginary, but he’s changed my life.
Time Travelers Sink Millions
Twelve spies traipsed off into the Promised Land. Millions of people had been exploring this Promised Land in their imagination, but they hadn’t been imagining a lot of problems. It’s not wrong to think of future problems. It’s just wrong to think about them and not count on God’s help.
Now the time had come to take hold of their promise. The spies walked through the land, their heads swiveled right and left. “Wow, look at that city! Look at how fertile this land is. But look at how strong those people are. They’re big. They are mean. I feel like a grasshopper standing alongside them.”
And they begin to travel to the future and see themselves stomped into the ground in any battle they might have with these people. Ten of them painted such a negative picture of the future that millions of people began to howl in defeat.
Before one single arrow had been fired!
Two others saw the same things, but as they traveled forward in time they saw themselves defeating those giants and taking this land because God had promised it.
Nevertheless, the ones who sang destruction planted their vision of the future in peoples’ minds. And a whole generation of men died without tasting God’s promise.
I wonder how many times that has happened.
So how do you travel into a powerful future? You begin to see things the way God says they are. As you voyage forward, imagine what it would be like if things went right instead of panicking about what might go wrong.
Yes, see the possible problems, and dream up solutions that God might give you. Begin to rejoice in what God is going to do for you.
Power-filled Exploring
The Bible promises peace to the person who put true things in his mind, noble things, right things, pure things, lovely things, admirable things, excellent things. And follow the pattern of living in God’s word.
I’ll be honest with you I can really get depressed watching the news or reading the junk on the Internet. Usually I read the headlines of the New York Times and then read the headlines of FOX News. I then add them together and divide by two. I figure that’s closer to reality.
Folks, we must to get ahold of our thoughts. If you’re not master of your thoughts, by the power of God’s Spirit, you’re on a fast track to misery.
You can’t be joyful in Jesus if your mind is full of junk. All these stupid arguments on Internet, so much of it is just a tempest in a teapot. They change nothing except for the stomach ulcers they donate us, and there’s that problem of negativity they bring. Oh yeah, we get really mad at people who don’t agree with us, don’t we?
What happens when we fill out heart and mind with good things? Number one, God’s peace will guard us. I’m a big fan of the Garfield comic strip. Once Garfield’s buddy Jon said to the fat cat,” Wait until you see what I bought.”
Whereupon Jon pulls out an atrocious, gaudy cowboy hat. Garfield looks at it then comments, “It’s amazing what some people would rather have than money.” (http://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1988/11/23)
It’s also amazing what some people would rather have than God’s peace.
So how do we do it do we explore the future? The Bible says,
“Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
And
“May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
(Psalm 19:14, NLT)
God helps me decide what stays in my mind and what comes out of my mouth. The Holy Spirit and I are the master. As I visit the future and plan for the days ahead, instead of panic, I’ll be able to live in strength anticipating what God has planned.
Hmmm …
“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” ― Corrie ten Boom
Photo: Pixabay.com/Kanenori/genty/mikegi