“The Lord will fulfill His plans for my life” (Psalm 138:8).
Why do we worry so much about the future, if it is not under our control? When we anxiously try to shape what is to come, imagining scenarios of good or evil according to our own will, we end up invading a territory that belongs solely to God. This is not only useless—it is a subtle form of distrust. God has a perfect plan, and our attempts to anticipate or control that plan only take us further from the peace He wants to give us. By doing this, we stray from the present, which is exactly where the Lord is working in our lives.
This restlessness about tomorrow robs us of what is most precious: God’s presence today. And, by losing this focus, we burden ourselves with anxieties we were not created to carry. True peace can only be experienced when we rest in the certainty that the future is in the hands of the Creator. And there is a sure way to guarantee that this future will be good—here on earth and for all eternity: to humbly accept the rules of life He has already revealed to us, which are the commandments contained in His mighty Law.
If we are to worry about anything, let it be about our obedience. May our zeal be to faithfully live out each commandment that God has given us through His prophets and through Jesus in the Gospels. This is the only concern worth carrying, for everything depends on it: our peace, our strength, our purpose, and, in the end, our salvation. The future belongs to God, but the present is our chance to choose obedience. -Adapted from William Ellery Channing. Until tomorrow, if the Lord allows us.
Pray with me: Dear God, I thank You for reminding me that the future is not in my hands, but in Yours. How many times have I let anxiety dominate me by trying to control what is to come, forgetting that You have a perfect plan laid out for me. You work in the present, and it is here, today, that I must live with faith, trust, and obedience.
My Father, today I ask You to remove from me the burden of restlessness about tomorrow and place in my heart a deep zeal for obedience to Your will. Teach me to rest in the certainty that the future is safe with You, and that my true responsibility is to live faithfully now, keeping Your commandments with joy and reverence. May every decision I make be guided by the light of Your mighty Law, so that I do not lose myself in the fears of what has not yet come.
Oh, Most Holy God, I adore and praise You because You offer me true peace when I choose to trust and obey. Your beloved Son is my eternal Prince and Savior. Your mighty Law is like a firm anchor that keeps me steady while the world spins in uncertainties. Your commandments are like living flames that illuminate the present and safely point to the glorious future You have prepared. I pray in the precious name of Jesus, amen.
