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'Christ in You...'
by Dale Krebbs
The Apostle Peter has admonished us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. These were the last recorded words that we have from him.
We are to grow in the knowledge of God, about God, grow through His grace to become more like Him. But think for a moment about knowledge in a general sense. What if you and I somehow could know the details of our future experiences - everything that will impact us, that we will experience, regarding all things involving us?
Some spend time attempting to discover what their future holds for them. They study and contemplate present conditions they are seeing in their around, the events and probable conditions in the world around them, and attempt to project what the future holds for them. Some even consult mediums and fortune tellers.
Of course some things can be known that seem to indicate various occurrences in life. But we cannot predict each and every event in our lives, much less the lives of others. God knows the past and the future about everything, or, at least He can if He chooses to do so. He certainly "knows" what He has planned to accomplish by His own power and infinite understanding of His purpose. All will finally, after living through the future they struggle to know, that knowing the future is a very hopeless endeavor. Some things, yes - many things, no.
Many may discover that they are very thankful that they could not know what had occurred in their lives. If they had known in advance, perhaps some things could have be avoided. But most of what had occurred, they didn't know it was coming. And, they are very thankful that they did not know what was coming.
Knowing our future could subvert God's purpose. It would mitigate against His plans for us, to create us in His image. Many of the events of the future God has for maturing His sons and daughters would discourage us because we could not handled it. Or, we could become prideful and exalted in our own eyes because of future blessings. Knowing the future would undermine and destroy the function of faith in our lives.
Jesus spoke many things for a long time in parables. He did this with His disciples, to their utter frustration at times. He did this, among other reasons, because He knew they could not discern the truth correctly. In other words, they could not have handled the truth about their future. When He finally spoke plainly, they had been prepared to receive what they could not understand:
"I have told you these things in parables (veiled language, allegories, dark sayings); the hour is now coming when I shall no longer speak to you in figures of speech, but I shall tell you about the Father in plain words and openly (without reserve). At that time you will ask (pray) in My Name; and I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf [for it will be unnecessary]. For the Father Himself [tenderly] loves you because you have loved Me and have believed that I came out from the Father. I came out from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father. His disciples said, Ah, now You are speaking plainly to us and not in parables (veiled language and figures of speech)! Now we know that You are acquainted with everything and have no need to be asked questions. Because of this we believe that you [really] came from God!" - John 16:25-30. (AMP)
Life is much like rowing a boat while sitting backward while rowing. When we row our boat of life, we sit looking backward as we row. We know the general direction of rowing, but we cannot see all that lies ahead. We only see the ripples made by where we have been.
A spiritual melody, puts it this way: "...there are things I may not understand... I may not know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future". We must trust God moment by moment, while obeying that which He has made known for us to do now. There are some things we cannot know and must not know, but Jesus knows all. Trusting Him is all we can know for sure, or need to know - about the present, and the future.
So, as part of the lyrics of an old romantic melody affirms, "not knowing is a blessing...". Be thankful that you cannot know all your future holds. Not knowing is your greatest blessing.
"Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a city and spend a year there and carry on our business and make money. Yet you do not know [the least thing] about what may happen tomorrow. What is the nature of your life? You are [really] but a wisp of vapor (a puff of smoke, a mist) that is visible for a little while and then disappears [into thin air]. You ought instead to say, If the Lord is willing, we shall live and we shall do this or that [thing]." - James 4:13-15 (AMP)
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