Articles on Comfort
If You Could Know the Future
John Buttrey II
From the time I was just a young boy, I have been fascinated with the science fiction theme of time travel. My first exposure to this was a television program called The Time Tunnel. I was so upset when, after only one season, it was cancelled. My parents helped me write a letter of complaint to the studio to try and bring the show back for another season. Alas, my efforts to save the cancelled program fell on deaf ears. Since its last episode aired (on my tenth birthday), I have enjoyed many other movies and programs on the subject of traveling through time.
While time travel will remain in the area of science fiction, it is intriguing to think about the possibility of traveling to the past, or into the near or distant future. We all know we cannot change the past, but I am guessing there are some moments in your past you might want to go back and change. Thankfully, in Christ, though we cannot change our past, we can change our spiritual condition brought on by past and present sin. What a blessing we have in the cleansing power of Christ's shed blood! (cf. Matt. 26:28; Acts 2:38; 22:16).
Have you ever thought about traveling into the future? So much of our struggle with worry concerns what may, or may not happen tomorrow. Sports enthusiasts worry about the outcome of tomorrow's big game. The sickly patient worries about tomorrow's test results. The student worries about tomorrow's final exam. In light of this common problem of worrying about tomorrow, I believe there are many who would like a time machine, or a crystal ball, so they could see into the future and hopefully put their worries to rest. I say "hopefully", because in some cases one might not like what they see in the future!
As much as we would like to know what the future will bring, be it good or bad, the Bible is clear: we cannot know for certain what will happen tomorrow. James said it well:
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.
James 4:14(Emphasis Mine)
If we cannot know what tomorrow will bring, are we destined to worry? No! With faith in God, we don't need a time machine to overcome our worry. Jesus said,
"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Matthew 6:34 (Emphasis Mine)
With faith in God the troublesome worrying of tomorrow's unknown can be dealt with in a spiritually effective way (cf. Phil. 4:6-7). Consider how the Old Testament prophets wanted to look into the future:
As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.
1 Peter 1:10-12
The prophets wanted to know when, how, and who, as they spoke about the future Messianic hope. Though they were not given all the information they wanted, they simply put their trust in God. We must do the same.
Regarding our future as Christians, the Bible does give us some very encouraging information:
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (Emphasis Mine)
What an exciting future we have in Christ! What a joy to know that no matter what happens here on earth, good or bad, in the end, God's side wins!
We don't need a time machine or a crystal ball to know the future. We just need to learn to live by faith today, so that each and every one of our tomorrows will be no cause for worry.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6
While time travel will remain in the area of science fiction, it is intriguing to think about the possibility of traveling to the past, or into the near or distant future. We all know we cannot change the past, but I am guessing there are some moments in your past you might want to go back and change. Thankfully, in Christ, though we cannot change our past, we can change our spiritual condition brought on by past and present sin. What a blessing we have in the cleansing power of Christ's shed blood! (cf. Matt. 26:28; Acts 2:38; 22:16).
Have you ever thought about traveling into the future? So much of our struggle with worry concerns what may, or may not happen tomorrow. Sports enthusiasts worry about the outcome of tomorrow's big game. The sickly patient worries about tomorrow's test results. The student worries about tomorrow's final exam. In light of this common problem of worrying about tomorrow, I believe there are many who would like a time machine, or a crystal ball, so they could see into the future and hopefully put their worries to rest. I say "hopefully", because in some cases one might not like what they see in the future!
As much as we would like to know what the future will bring, be it good or bad, the Bible is clear: we cannot know for certain what will happen tomorrow. James said it well:
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.
James 4:14(Emphasis Mine)
If we cannot know what tomorrow will bring, are we destined to worry? No! With faith in God, we don't need a time machine to overcome our worry. Jesus said,
"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Matthew 6:34 (Emphasis Mine)
With faith in God the troublesome worrying of tomorrow's unknown can be dealt with in a spiritually effective way (cf. Phil. 4:6-7). Consider how the Old Testament prophets wanted to look into the future:
As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.
1 Peter 1:10-12
The prophets wanted to know when, how, and who, as they spoke about the future Messianic hope. Though they were not given all the information they wanted, they simply put their trust in God. We must do the same.
Regarding our future as Christians, the Bible does give us some very encouraging information:
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (Emphasis Mine)
What an exciting future we have in Christ! What a joy to know that no matter what happens here on earth, good or bad, in the end, God's side wins!
We don't need a time machine or a crystal ball to know the future. We just need to learn to live by faith today, so that each and every one of our tomorrows will be no cause for worry.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6