What’s Up Ahead?

  I was taking my husband to the airport the other day when all of a sudden, the freeway came to a dead stop. Traffic on a California freeway? Shock of shocks. For the next several miles, it was stop and go. Good thing we ended up leaving earlier than we had originally planned. We finally arrived at the heart of the problem: Construction. Good ol’ construction.

  As we passed the construction site the freeway opened up and our speed returned to normal. My husband commented, “It sure would be nice if there was something that would tell you instantly what was happening a few miles ahead. Then you could prepare.” I thought about what he said and thought to myself, “Yeah it would be nice, too, if life was like that. To know what’s coming so we could be ready.”

  But God doesn’t let us know in advance what’s around the corner. He doesn’t give us a heads up on the unexpected detour in our life or the unexpected joyful surprise that’s waiting for us. On the surface, that may seem unfair. But as you dig deeper, you begin to understand that God keeps us in the dark, so to speak, for our benefit. Think about it. If you knew in advance the blessings God was about to bring you, where would your focus be? Would it be on the here and now? No, most likely your mind and heart would be distracted on the upcoming blessing. If you knew in advance the difficult valley you were about to walk through, where would your focus be? Would it be on the here and now? No, most likely your mind and heart would be filled with distress on the impending struggle. Does God want our focus on what lies ahead? No. God wants our focus on Him and on what we have in the present, trusting Him for whatever the day brings us. 

Proverbs 27:1 Tells us: Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

  If we are rooted in God, we have all we need for what awaits us whether good or bad. It’s called Grace. God’s grace is an incredible gift. It is the source of our blessings and it is strength for our difficulties. 2 Corinthians12:9 says: And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”  I like the Amplified Bible’s version of this passage, it opens up the richness of this promise: He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, my loving kindness and my mercy are more than enough – always available – regardless of the situation: for my power is being perfected and is completed and shows itself most effectively in your weakness.”

  So although we may think it would be nice to know what’s ahead, in reality, we would be robbing ourselves of experiencing yet another facet of God’s amazing grace.

Dina Pugh