“I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’” (Isaiah 46:10)
They say hindsight is 20/20. It’s always easier after the fact to see what a person should have said or done. Once we see how things played out, we can see more clearly the road we should have taken.
The future isn’t so clear.
As we look ahead to a new year, we can see only a blur of choices and roads not yet taken. Will I be able to find a job? Whom will I date? Should we get married? What am I going to do with my aging mother? What is going to happen to our country? Who will be our next president? Is another recession around the corner?
As I write this, we cannot yet see what the new year will bring. That can be scary for many, especially those who find themselves at a crossroads with difficult decisions to make this year. We worry. We fret. We stress. What if we make the wrong choice?
What makes matters worse is that our vision of even the present and the past is clouded by the cataracts of sin. How we view the world and the choices we have to make is blurred by fear, pride, and guilt.
As we look ahead to a blurry and unknown new year, however, we don’t need to be afraid.
God can see it clearly. He will control it in his power and love. In the book of Isaiah, he tells us, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand and I will do all that I please.’” God has plans for you in this new year, “plans,” the prophet Jeremiah tells us, “to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).
If you worry or wonder about that, just look to the past. Hindsight is 20/20.
Look at how God worked all of time and history to bring his Son, Jesus, into the world. See how your Savior loved you so much, he suffered the punishment you deserve for all the poor choices you made. See how he has gotten you through every trial and tribulation in this life. God has always forgiven you, always helped you, and always seen you through.
And he won’t stop this year. So in this new year, keep your eyes firmly fixed on him. Turn to him in prayer when you have difficult decisions to make. Go to church. Read your Bible. Find in his Word the direction and encouragement you need. Through his Word, he will open your eyes to see clearly his love and power at work in your life.
Through the eyes of faith, you will be able to see clearly that we have nothing to fear in this year.
Prayer:
Eternal Lord, as I look ahead to an unclear future, help me to trust that my future lies in your loving and powerful hands. Take away my fears and give me peace. Amen.
From 364 Days of Devotion: A Devotional Book. All rights reserved.
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