As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.  (1 Timothy 6:17-19)

As with every new year, we have no idea what is ahead. Some things will stay the same, and other things will change. It will be a mixture of joy and sadness. Lately this question has been challenging my heart: would I rather have a knowledge of the future and an ability to control it in some way; or will I be content with the opportunity to learn to trust in and know Jesus in deeper ways?

While nothing about this life is certain, the faithfulness of our God is always completely certain!

Recently I was telling a couple of friends how I had been experiencing a lot of anxiety about the future. I explained to them how I had been doing all the “right” things, such as prayer and Bible reading, to try to overcome these feelings but I still felt stuck in fear and discouragement. Then my friend gently commented that maybe our problem is all the “I” statements we sometimes make. We forget how utterly helpless we are without Christ. It was exactly what I needed to hear and it was like a knife to my heart. I had been depending on doing all the right things to feel good, forgetting that even our good emotions are a gift from God. I don’t want my speech to be filled with the things I’m doing; rather I want it to be filled with how God sustains and provides joy in the hard times of life.

The future belongs to the Lord. While there is much we cannot control, may these things be true of our life because of the work God is doing in our hearts:

• May we be humble and not haughty
• May we set our hope  on the certainty of God and not the uncertainty of earthly riches
• May we grow in doing good and being generous
• May we store up treasures in heaven while living abundantly through  Christ in the present. 

Our strength is indeed small but God has promised to richly provide us with everything we need. His goodness is always certain!