A future and a hope

It was St-Augustine who said: “Entrust the past to God’s mercy, the present to His love, and the future to His providence.” I really like this quote don’t you? It takes care of the guilt someone can carry over the sins and failures of yesterday, the things we shouldn’t have done and the things we should have. God’s mercies are obviously good for the present as well, since His word says that His mercies are new every morning! How incredible is that truth and how we need His mercies. I certainly hold on to them continually. I fall short of His glory everyday and you do to by the way. God’s perfect standard causes all of us to cry out for mercy. It reminds me of the words of this song; “I cry out, for your hand of mercy to heal me, I am weak, but I need your love to free me…”

Now, think about the second part of the quote above; “entrust the present to his love”. This statement is also very powerful.  He loves you and me so why should we worry and fret over our situations and about everything that’s going on around us? If He loves us, will he not do what is absolutely best for each one of His children?  Because He does love us, we know that whatever comes our way is something He has allowed for one reason or another.

Lastly, we are reminded to entrust the future to His providence. Providence can be defined as the foreseeing care and guidance of God over the creatures of the earth or, omnisciently directing the universe and the affairs of humankind with wise benevolence.

Truth is, we don’t always direct the affairs of our lives, families, businesses and ministry wisely but God always does. That’s why trusting Him for the future makes so much sense. Proverbs 3:5-6 says: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  

"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." (Corrie Ten Boom) Now, if you don’t know God today, you should be worried about the future and what might be around the bend. But if you do know God, trust that the future is in His hands and that He already knows what will be so, you can relax and have complete confidence in that very fact. You may have heard me share my life verse before but I will share it again for it is very fitting. The promise was first given to the children of Israel as it pertained to their future as a nation but it also applies to you and me, if we have been brought into God’s glorious family of believers. Be encouraged, God has a glorious future for you and for me!

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope”.  Jeremiah 29:11