How’s Your Future Look?

Who wasn’t ready to be done with 2020? There were many clever slogans and statements closing the year…

“Can we uninstall 2020 and install it again? This version has a virus.” 

“Has anyone tried flipping to the beginning of 2020 and choosing a different adventure?”

“The only thing I gained in 2020 was weight.” 

“Wake me up when 2020 ends.”

“2020 was like looking both ways before you cross the street and then getting hit by an airplane.” 

We can all look back at the last year and be thankful that it is over for one reason or another. And we can even joke about what has transpired. 2020 is behind us, that is for certain. But when people talk about the future there is less certainty. “2021 is going to be a much better year,” I’ve heard many claim. But at the end of the sentence comes a slight elevation in tone. Like it’s more of a question than a statement. Whether it is related to the pandemic, politics, or personal problems there is a lot of anxiety in the air. What will tomorrow hold?

One of my personal problems is peripheral neuropathy. I’ve been experiencing it for about three years now. The location and severity change from day to day, leaving me ever wondering where the numbness will strike next. It is a very unpleasant condition to live with.

In December I received some disheartening test results regarding this condition. Shortly following this, the Lord brought to my attention through a few different venues Proverbs 31:25, “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.” It’s always been one of those verses that I longingly aspire to attain. Oh to be able to laugh at the future! You may say, as I do, how can I do that with my circumstances? But that is not the right question. The correct question is, how can I not do that with my God? He holds the future and he holds you and me lovingly in his hands. We can laugh because he is trustworthy. We can laugh because we will never be alone. We can laugh because our rescue is coming.

Psalm 84:12 says, “O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!” Another word for blessed here is happy. There are many such verses proclaiming that happiness is the result of trusting in God. In other words, trusting God gives us the freedom to let go of our worries and enables us to look to tomorrow with carefree joy. 

Jesus told us not to worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34). There are no caveats. No conditions that give us the right to worry. And, no benefits that come from worry. Jesus knows the human tendency is to worry, it’s our default mode. 

I will leave you on a comical note. Dogs and cats have many differences of course. One is their outlook on what will come next. Dogs embrace whole-heartedly, with tails wagging and tongues lapping, whatever awaits. Car ride? Walk? Food? Anything is anticipated goodness. Cats on the other hand, hold back and hesitantly assess the situation, usually behind objects of safety. They really are scaredy-cats. 

So, whether you are a cat or a dog person, let’s all try to be more like dogs in the way we anticipate the future. Let’s follow Jesus’ command, and not worry about tomorrow. Let’s practice laughing at the days to come. Let’s embrace this coming year knowing God is already there.