We stand at the threshold of uncharted territory.1 As church leaders, we have traversed many roads, faced countless trials, and experienced moments of triumph and despair. But life itself carries with it an air of uncertainty and an invitation to embrace the unknown. Amid this uncertainty, we can know that the Lord will be with us so that we can face our future with assurance rather than with anxiety. The timeless wisdom found in God’s Word provides us with valuable insights on how to face our future with assurance.
Focusing too much on the past can lead to depression, focusing too much on the present often triggers stress, and concentrating too much on the future may provoke anxiety. What is the answer to such a dilemma? Only one: trusting in the sovereign Lord.
Here are three lessons to remember about our all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-wise God as we face the unknown future.
The God who was with us yesterday
In the context of the children of Israel about to enter Canaan, the Lord said to them through Moses: “You shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness” (Deut. 8:2).2 He has been with you in your past as well.
When the Israelites prepared to take possession of the Promised Land, they faced uncertainty and challenges. You likely already know that the Lord cared for His people for 40 years in the wilderness. Yet maybe that knowledge is, precisely, the problem: having come across this information so often, we forget what it really means.
How do you supply such a crowd with food and water in the wilderness? Some Bible commentators believe that approximately 2.6 million people left Egypt for the Promised Land. To survive one day in the desert, a single adult would require about three gallons (11 liters) of water for hydration, food preparation, and hygiene.
Therefore, 2.6 million people would require 7.8 million gallons (29.5 million liters) of water for one day in the desert. How do you convey to a single spot 7.8 million gallons of water? They could not just open a tap. In the United States the largest tanker (with a trailer) carries up to 11,600 gallons (44,000 liters) of liquid. To transport 7.8 million gallons of water would require 673 of these tankers per day. The average tanker is 42 feet long; 673 tankers would cover 5.4 miles (8.7 kilometers).
Yet, without requiring a single truck, God gave His people water for 40 years in the wilderness. How? The Bible declares that water gushed out of the rock.
And food? To feed a crowd of 2.6 million people, you would require approximately 1,600 tons (1.4 million kilograms) of food—per meal. How do you convey to a single spot 1,600 tons of food? They did not have any grocery stores. To feed them would require two trains a mile (1.6 kilometers) long each, per meal. God, however, gave His people food for 40 years in the wilderness without requiring a single wagon. How? The Bible declares that food came down from heaven.
Another important component of their sojourn was the pillars of cloud and fire. Imagine a vast desert, a multitude of people, uncertain terrain, and an uncharted path ahead. Amid this uncertainty, God provided a visible manifestation of His presence—a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
The pillar of cloud served as a GPS for the Israelites. Besides revealing the path to follow, it also provided shade from the scorching sun, a clear indication that God was with them every step of the way. Similarly, the pillar of fire illuminated their way by night. Apart from that, in the desert, where temperatures plummet during the night because of the poor heat-retaining properties of the sand, the children of Israel found a source of warmth and comfort in the pillar of fire.
Whenever you face a situation that you have never encountered before, remember that the Lord your God was with you yesterday.
The God who is with us today
Yet we do not serve a God of only yesterday. The past is but a place of learning, not a place of living. We face real challenges now.
In Joshua 3:7 “the LORD said to Joshua, ‘This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.’ ” However natural it is for us to worry, the Lord who was with you yesterday is also with you today.
Some of us are chronic worriers. If worry were an Olympic discipline, we would be gold medalists. The book Christian Leadership reminds us: “Worry is blind and cannot discern the future. But Jesus sees the end from the beginning.”3
I cherish two definitions of worry. First, worry is looking into the future without God in the picture; second, worry is the dark room where negatives are developed.
Our problem is not our problem; it is the way that we look at it. Our challenge is not our challenge; it is the way that we apprehend it. If we train our eyes to see our challenges through the lens of God’s sovereignty, we can then stop worrying.
Whatever the uncertainties, remember that God was with you yesterday and is with you today.
The God who will be with us tomorrow
I love the Word of God. The Bible does not need to be rewritten but reread. Let us reread Joshua 3:5. Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you” (NIV).
Whenever you encounter a new situation, remember that God will not only be with you tomorrow but also perform wonders in your life tomorrow.
Yet, according to Joshua 3:5, this promise comes with a requirement: “Consecrate yourselves.” To face the future with assurance, we must set ourselves apart for God’s purpose and dedicate our hearts and minds to Him. Let us remember that our first step toward assurance is drawing near to God and—based on daily personal prayer, Bible study, and applying the divinely inspired instructions from the Spirit of Prophecy—growing as disciples.
Whatever challenges arise, remember that God was with you yesterday, is with you today, and will be with you tomorrow.
Assurance
There is no need to be depressed about the past, because God was with you yesterday; no need to be stressed about the present, because He is with you today; and no need to be anxious about the future, for He will perform wonders in your life tomorrow.
Let’s remember that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8). God never changes, and His promises are true. So, we can face our future with assurance. With God our past is redeemed, our present makes sense, and our future is secure.
- A version of this article was first published in Adventist Review, January 1, 2024, https://adventistreview.org/magazine-article/facing-your-future-with-assurance/. Used with permission.
- Unless noted otherwise, Scripture is from the New King James Version.
- Ellen G. White, Christian Leadership (Washington, DC: Ellen G. White Estate, 1985), 77.
