We know the one who holds the future

On our journey to finding rest in a restless world, last time we looked at our past and how we need to understand that we do not need to carry guilt from the sins of our past. We examined King David's life and how he had fallen so badly, yet when he repented, he was forgiven and restored. None of us have sinned any worse than David. We found out that the day we were born again we were as clean as we will ever be.

Colossians 2:12-14 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of ayour flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

Today I want to discuss the future. How we look at the past has a lot to do with how we see the future. How we see the future has a mammoth effect on how we live in the present.

One thing is for sure, the future is uncertain, none of us know what will happen tomorrow or later on today.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

It has been said that a person can live between 30 and 60 days without food, one to two weeks without water, maybe five minutes without air, but not a second without hope. Hope gives us the will to live. Without hope, life is just an existence lacking vision and purpose.

God would have us face the future with anticipation, expectancy and above all, faith. Why? We don't know what the future holds, but we know the one who holds the future.

The Bible tells us that before we were Christians, we were without hope for the future in this world.

Ephesians 2:12 that at the time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Let us rest in the fact that we can have hope in the future through the knowledge of the Lord, Jesus Christ, who holds all things in his hand.

-- Pastor Leo Kruger of Valley Christian Fellowship is a member of Carson Valley Ministers'

Association.