Daily Thought for Tuesday, August 9th

August 9, 2011

The Future

Today’s Thought:

“The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.”  – C. S. Lewis

Today’s Quotes:

“God made the world round so we could never see too far down the road.” – Isak Dinesen

Today’s Question

Have you ever stopped to consider that: “Where you go hereafter depends on what you go after here?” – Anonymous

Today’s Bible Verses:                  James 4:13-15

Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Today’s Spiritual Thought:

“Tomorrow! Tomorrow!
I love ya Tomorrow!
You're always
A day
A way!” – Charles Strouse & Martin Charnin (lyrics from ‘Tomorrow’ from the Musical ‘Annie’)

The future can be an ominous concept to embrace for many of us; especially in light of our current world conditions.  But here is an interesting thought for you to ponder: “The future is given shape by our faith, or condemned to drift and disaster by our indifference.” – Page Smith

The idea of the future can mean different things to different people. For some the future is far off in the distance; while for others the future can be less than a minute away.  In truth everything that is before us and not behind us is our future.

For Christians our eternal future is in Christ and we know what it will hold, but what about our short-term futures: like the rest of today and possibly tomorrow or next week or next month?

As Christians we need to, “Light tomorrow with today.” – Elizabeth B. Browning

And we need to remember to, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to an all-knowing God.” – Corrie ten Boom

We know scripture teaches us not to worry about the future and to live for God fully in the moment we are in; but that does not mean we can not have some plans or ideas about where we might be going or what me might intend to do in the short, mid or even long term future, the Lord willing.  Remember to, “Map out your future, but do it in pencil.” – Jon Bon Jovi  

We know the Bible tells us people perish if they have no vision and part of having a vision is to have a sense or awareness of future plans, but we must be always willing and ready to submit and surrender those future plans to God’s will and we need to be willing to be flexible and open to the prospect of change and things not always going the way we think they might, should or even could.

I often like to say, “Blessed are the flexible for they shall accomplish the work of God.”

Planning for and thinking about the future is ok; as long as when it comes your willing to do it God’s way.

Today’s Prayer:

Father, whatever my thoughts or plans might be with regards to the future, may they stay flexible and be open to alterations by you.