The Future

"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God."

Corrie ten Boom

THE FUTURE

How can I face the future when it is so uncertain?

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Psalm 121:8 The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.

You can face the uncertain future because you have an unchanging God who loves and guides you. As the old saying puts it: We know not what the future holds, but we know who holds the future.

Matthew 6:34 "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."

Most of the things we worry about might never happen. So don't waste time on the "what-if" worries. Instead spend your worry time as prayer time.

What are some promises I can look forward to in my future with God?

1 John 3:2 "Yes, dear friends, we are already God's children, and we can't even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. "

You will one day be like Christ.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen.

The great plans God has for you will some day be revealed and fulfilled. Spend today knowing God better. Then tomorrow, you will better know his plans for you.

John 14:1-4 Don't be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father's home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know where I am going and how to get there.

When you die, you will go to live with Christ in his home forever.

1 Peter 1:4-5 For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And God, in his mighty power, will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting him. It will be revealed on the last day for all to see.

You will inherit the heavenly riches reserved for God's children.

Revelation 3:5 All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine.

You will wear garments of heaven and be identified with Christ.

Revelation 21:4 He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever.

In heaven you will never hurt, cry, have pain, or experience sorrow. Evil will be gone forever.

Colossi ans 3:4 And when Christ, who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

You will share the glory that belongs to Christ.

Isaiah 11:6-9 'In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard and the goat will be at peace. Calves and yearlings will be safe among lions, and a little child will lead them all. The cattle will graze among bears. Cubs and calves will lie down together. And lions will eat grass as the livestock do. Babies will crawl safely among poisonous snakes. Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes and pull it out unharmed. Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain. And as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the LORD.

Zechariah 14:9 And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one LORD – his name alone will be worshiped.

You will be part of an eternal kingdom ruled by the Lord God himself. It will be free from God's enemies.

1 Thessalonians 5:10 He died for us so that we can live with him forever, whether we are dead or alive at the time of his return.

When you die you will live forever with Christ in heaven.

Acts 1:11 They said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring at the sky? Jesus has been taken away from you into heaven. And someday, just as you saw him go, he will return!"
Some day in the future you will see Christ return again to earth.

Isaiah 25:7-8 In that day he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign LORD will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The LORD has spoken!

Hebrews 2:14 Because God's children are human beings – made of flesh and blood – Jesus also became flesh and blood by being born in human form. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the Devil, who had the power of death.

Christ will break the power of death and of Satan.

How can hope for the future help me live today?

1 Peter 1:7 These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

1 Peter 4:13 Instead, be very glad – because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterward you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory when it is displayed to all the world.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever. So comfort and encourage each other with these words.

Philippians 3:13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.

As a heaven-bound follower of Jesus, you need to put heaven and earth in perspective. Here we generally live for a hundreds years or less. There a 100 million years is just the beginning. If you spend most of your time in heaven, you need to spend time here preparing yourself to live there. This eternal perspective helps you live here on earth with the right priorities, for this life is really your preparation for life in heaven.

PROMISES FROM GOD: Psalm 32:8 The LORD says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.

Matthew 26:64 Jesus replied, "Yes, it is as you say. And in the future you will see me, the Son of Man, sitting at God's right hand in the place of power and coming back on the clouds of heaven."
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Touchpoints of Hope - God's Answers For Your Daily Needs, Tyndall House Publishing, Choice Books ISBN #0-8423-4229-X