The Future

In the book “The Power of a Praying Woman” the last chapter is a letter to the reader. The topic is The Future (the chapter is entitled: “Lord, Lead Me into the Future You Have for Me”) and I really appreciated reading the words she wrote. With a new year coming and as everyone is making plans for their future, I thought it was a great thing to share. So, here is the “letter” for you to enjoy also!


Dear ____________ (please fill in your name),
I am writing this because I want to remind you of the great future God has for you. I know this because He said so. He says you have not seen, nor heard, nor have even imagined anything as great as what He has prepared for you (1 Corinthians 2:9). You have no idea how great your future is. He says that what He has for you is so great that if you truly understood it, you would feel “that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed” in you (Romans 8:18). That means whatever you envision for your life right now is already too small.
Although God promises you a future full of hope and blessing, it’s not going to happen automatically. There are some things you have to do. One of them is pray about it (Jeremiah 29:11-13). Another is obey God. But don’t worry, God will help you with both of those if you ask Him. The Holy Spirit is God’s guarantee to you that He will help you do what you need to do and bring to pass everything He promised (Ephesians 1:13-14). Just know that every time you pray and obey, you are investing in your future.
Although we live in a world where everything in our lives can change in an instant, and we can’t be certain what tomorrow will bring, God is unchanging. You may have already lost your false sense of security, and this is good because God wants you to know that your only real security is found in Him. Although you may not know the specific details about what is ahead, you can trust that God knows. And He will get you safely where you need to go. In fact, the way to get to the future God has for you is to walk with Him today.
Remember that walking with God doesn’t mean there won’t be obstacles. Satan will see to it that there are. While God has a plan for your future that is good, the devil has one too and it’s not good. But the devil’s plan for your life cannot succeed as long as you are walking with God, living in obedience to His ways, worshiping only Him, standing strong in His Word, and praying without ceasing. God’s plan for your life won’t happen without a struggle, however, so don’t give up when times get tough. Just keep on doing what’s right and resist the temptation to quit. Ask God to give you the strength and endurance you need to do what you have to do.
Don’t judge your future by what you read in the newspaper or the words someone spoke over you one time. Your future is in God’s hands. The only thing that is important is what He says about it. He doesn’t want you to be concerned about your future anyway. He wants you to be concerned with Him, because He is your future.
Remember that you are God’s child and He loves you. As you walk with Him, you will become more like Him every day (1 John 3:1-3). As you look to Him, you will be “transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18). As you live with Him, He will take you from strength to strength. So even though your “outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16).
Don’t become discouraged if things don’t happen as fast as you would like them to. They never do. God wants you to learn patience. Our perspective is temporal. His is eternal. So don’t be concerned if you are not seeing all that you want in response to your prayers. You will.
If you start being consumed by the details of life, and it feels as if your future won’t ever be any different than it is at this moment, please know the truth is quite the opposite. It’s at these very times, when you feel as though you’re not getting anywhere, or you’re missing the future God has for you, that God is actually preparing you for your future. And when the time is right, He has been known to do a very quick work. While it’s good to set goals, don’t look so far ahead that you become overwhelmed. Look to the Lord instead. Remember that “the Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them” (Psalm 145:18-19).
One day you will be with God in heaven. And He will wipe away every tear from your eyes and “there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). You want to be able to reach the end of your life and say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8). Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3).
In the meantime I know that you want to do something significant for the Lord and move into new areas of service for Him. God is looking for those who will be committed to living His way and stepping into the purposes He has for their lives…
Remember, God “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20). He has more for you than you can imagine. And now may “the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). Stay focused on God, and He will keep you in perfect peace as He moves you into the future He has for you.

Your sister in Christ,
Stormie Omartian