These notes, handwritten in elaborate lettering and intricately folded, contained our deepest secrets and hopeful dreams.
They were our social media.
We played games on more folded paper to determine important life decisions such as boyfriends, future husbands, future houses, and future pets. Who isn’t curious about what the future holds?
Actual 1980’s note-folding champs
Have you ever wished God would show you what He has planned for your future?
It seems like life would be easier if we had the answers to just a few questions about our future. But if our Junior High selves had been given a peek into our lives now, we would have even more questions.
Who is that strange man? Who are those kids? I do WHAT all day?
When it comes to His plans for our future God doesn’t give us answers, He points us back to Himself – to His faithfulness, His trustworthiness, His love.
In His Word, He tells us that He is out for our good.
What a relief, we think, Good sounds good. Then we struggle in our marriages, lose our jobs, hit financial hardship and think Wait just a minute. Which way is the good, because I obviously missed it.
If God is out for our good, and we are out for our good, what is all this mess?
Our definitions of “good” are very, very different.
Our definition of good is short term. What is good for me right now?
His definition of good is eternal. He knows what must develop in us in order to make us like Christ.
We are going after totally different results.
We want God to give us what we write down on folded pieces of paper when He has so much more in mind.
When we cling to our wants and have trouble trusting His plans He is tender toward us. He doesn’t say in exasperation, “Look people, I hold every molecule in the Universe together. I keep your heart pumping. I give you the air in your lungs and you have trouble trusting me?”
He knows we have an enemy who takes great delight in distorting our view of Him. He knows the enemy’s favorite tactic is to cause us to doubt His goodness, His love, and His intentions toward us. He reassures us of His goodness, His love, and His intentions toward us over and over in His Word.
He has actually given us a peek of what He has in mind for us – “to present you holy and blameless and above reproach.” But it’s a peek that we can’t relate to any more than our Junior High selves could to our lives today.
So He guides us each moment, each step of the way, doing whatever is necessary to bring us closer to Himself.
How can we begin trusting God, even when we don’t understand what He’s doing in our life? By running to the truth of Who He is and What He is like.
Truths to Stand On is a PDF I’ve developed to help you start walking in the hope God offers by describing ways these four characteristics of God can impact the way you live.
God’s Love *God’s Presence * God’s Provision *God’s Protection
To receive Truths to Stand On, simply fill out the form on the sidebar of this post. If you are already a subscriber, please email me at erinulerich@gmail.com and I will send you the PDF right away.
