The Future Is Like A Gift | AllWorship.com

The future IS like a gift because you do not know what is in the box until you open it. Sometimes your future is precisely what you always wanted, and then sometimes it is something you never wanted but got anyway. You will not know which eventuality it will be for you until you open the box.

Today’s Scripture passage is one of the more often quoted in the Bible. I believe this is so because it represents great hope. People quote it and in their mind apply it to their current circumstances. While I am not saying you should never do this, I am saying that there are some things you should first consider–carefully.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” (Jer 29:11-14 NIV)

These verses contain a principle that we can adopt as an indicator of the way God thinks. It is not, however, a personal promise to each of us individually, as some take it. And therein is the rub.

This prophecy from Jeremiah is specifically for the southern kingdom of Judah and its inhabitants in Jerusalem as they were in exile in Babylon. To apply it specifically to our lives and to a specific circumstance is not wise–unless God says otherwise. Why? Because it is a general word of hope and not a personal word from God to any one of us specifically–unless God says otherwise.

It certainly gives us a good perspective from which to pray, no question about that. The reason I caution you today not to take it as a personal, absolute promise from God for your personal and specific circumstances (unless God says otherwise) is that when people have done this, and things did not turn out as they thought they should, they became angry with God for letting them down or not keeping His promise. FYI: He didn’t fail any promise in this case.

God DOES have our best in mind. He DOES have a plan for our future. He DOES work in all our circumstances for our good–to the degree we allow Him and agree with Him. This is certain because it is affirmed in many other places throughout Scripture. It does not take a personal prophecy to know this and be confident that God fulfills His promises.

The part of the prophecy in this passage that we can “take to the bank” is this: “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

And when you find God, you “find” His solutions, guidance, and intervention. Or rather, as it more often works out, they find you. When you pray with all your heart–all your spirit, mind, will, and emotions–things have marvelous and creative ways of just working out. Have you ever noticed this?

Understand my heart in this caution today. I do not want you to be disappointed and consequently become bitter against God unjustly. This could happen if you took today’s passage as a personal promise from Him that whatever you are praying for to happen in whatever situation it may be is what God is bound and obligated to do for you because of these verses. You would be misapplying them in such a case.

For Judah in Babylon, it WAS specific. For us today, it is general AND conditional; conditional in that it depends on us seeking God with all we have.

I am confident that God has a future for me, already seen in His mind and experience, even though I have yet to live it. For me, it is the gift I have yet to open. He already knows what it is and is eager for me to discover it. Of this I am confident as well.

What is your future-gift from Him? It already exists, you know. God already knows it–but you will just have to wait and find out like all the rest of us! As Harry Chapin sang, “You know we’ll have a good time then!”