I Did Not See That Coming by Nancy White
Some time ago, Miss Cleo died and I wondered, “Did she see it coming?” Did she predict the day and hour of her death or was it a complete surprise?
Youree Dell Harris became famous in the 90’s as Miss Cleo – the spokeswoman for the Psychic Friends Network. She died of cancer on June 26, at the age of 53. She claimed to be have been born in Jamaica and to be psychic. She was born in Los Angeles. And yet folks still believed she could see, and tell the truth about, the future.
The answers to the questions “what” and “when” and “why” are extremely important to we humans. And we start asking very young. Who has not been worn out by a child’s incessant “why?” or their version of “when” = “Are we there yet?”
As we grow older we want to know what career to pursue. Who should I marry or will I even marry? Will I survive this disease? And so forth.
So, it is not surprising that those who do not trust in God would reach out to those who claim to know the future. King Saul even did this once, when he was afraid of the Philistines and did not hear from God. (See 1 Samuel 28:5-7)
But we DO know our future, because God knows our future and He tells us about it in the Bible. Here are some things we know:
- We know that Jesus will return. Revelation 19:11-15; 21:1-3; 22:7, 12
- We know that we will be changed to Spirit and live forever. Romans 6:23 “…the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:52 “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 John 3:2 “…but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.”
- We know what the earth will be lush and fruitful. (Amos 9:13)
- We know there will be no more death or even crying after Jesus returns and there will be no more war. (Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3; Revelation 21:4; Isaiah 65:19)
The problem comes because God does not chalk out our steps on the sidewalk. We don’t always know the next steps on the path He has for us. We have to make our own decisions, after seeking sound advice and praying about it. Then we walk in faith. We walk in the light.
Walking by faith – sometimes when we don’t have any idea what the next step will be – can be difficult even for Christians who have been at it for a long time. God’s timing is often tough to bear.
The Father has surprised me at times by saying, “no” or “not in this life,” when I was just sure He would heal or rescue. But He also has surprised me with a rescue far above and beyond my hopes and expectations. There have been many times when I was “sure” God would answer a certain way and He did the unexpected and I had to say “I did NOT see that coming.”
But for those who walk by faith, we can rest assured that our Savior is coming and bringing a reward with Him.
No, we cannot always see tomorrow. We cannot always see our way out of a trial. We do not know what the next year or decade will specifically hold for us. But we do know the future. No crystal ball required.
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