How many of us look to the future? Whereas it is useful in some things, in our daily walk with Christ we have to be in the present.

“¹Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” – Proverbs 27:1 (ESV)

We as Christians are to be working in the present and not concerned with the future.

I know that I am personally a planner and what to be prepared for what might come. This is slightly different that boasting about tomorrow. Preparing is correct, worrying and shouting about how good things will be are certainly not. We cannot control tomorrow and therefore can only prepare for them.

“¹³Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’ – ¹⁴yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” – James 4:13-14 (ESV)

We don’t know if we will even make it to tomorrow so how is it that we can boast about it. It will serve us better to focus on today and doing the work of God and when tomorrow comes, do the same.

Are you concerned with tomorrow? What kinds of things are there for you to accomplish to only prepare for tomorrow and live today? Do you know what is today?

Each day I have a 20 mile commute to the office and during that commute, there are a few spots that slow down due to heavy traffic. On occasion I will exit the highway and take the frontage/feeder road to avoid the traffic (you may see where I am going with this). And much to my surprise, I have increased my commute time due to my haste. Everyone had the same idea and got caught at the light and created even more traffic on the frontage/feeder road. If I would have just stayed where I was and followed the path traveled, even though it was a little bogged down, I would have been just fine.

“²³Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! ²⁴And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” – Psalm 139:23-24 (ESV)

We should be asking God each day to search us through and through and squash any thoughts of getting off of his path. When we do, we allow God to keep us moving the right direction for his glory. We will have difficulty on that path and it will not be a lot of fun from time to time, however, it is the right path because it is God’s path for us.

I wonder how much easier it would be if we just listened to God and followed his way? Would we find ourselves getting to the “right” place “on time” and in “good condition”? Will we be able to be known and go God’s way?

When we were children, and our parent came to us to ask about what happened to the cat’s fur, I wonder if we all were like: What, I don’t know what you are talking about. What happened to the cat?

“³For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” – Psalm 51:3 (ESV)

David knew he had sinned and was working through coming clean. He knew that God was aware of his sin. We knew we have/are doing wrong. Mom and Dad knew and they were looking for honesty, and we, like David had the opportunity to come clean.

We are human and will sin as it is in our nature, and you can see here that we know our sin. But, we have the opportunity to come clean with our Heavenly Father just as we have/had that opportunity with our earthly parents.

Sin is a part of your life, are you denying it? Do you know of your sin? Are you coming clean?

Have you ever been to some event and been in complete awe of what was going on? Lost track of time? Really focused your attention on the event and the happenings of that event?

Have you done that in your quiet time with God?

In the mornings I sit and study God’s Word and where I do know that I am gaining knowledge and understanding, I still have a long way to go. More importantly, I have the opportunity to really dig in to God’s Word.

“¹⁰Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” – Psalm 46:10 (ESV)

To “Be Still” is to fully focus. Our mind is not wandering, our eyes are on the prize, our hearts are full.

What if I sat still and marveled at the wonder of God? What if I was in constant awe of Him and allowed God to overcome me? Will you be still and know God?

This morning I have a passage I have looked at twice before. This time I was drawn to the word “make”.

“⁴Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.” – Psalm 25:4 (ESV)

In the NIV “make” is written as “show”. I prefer the word “make” as it generates in me a bit more urgency. I see this as a pleading of David to God, as he asks for guidance. It is more of a forcing.

I am not suggesting that God physically beat us down, but, how often have we experienced something physical that forced us to go a different path. Imagine a wall suddenly popping up and we had to turn left. Or the park we were going to was closed and we had to find another option. What if God physically put obstacles in our way to drive us down his path?

HE DOES!!! We are likely not paying close enough attention. If we are asking God to “make me to know your ways” shouldn’t we be paying closer attention?

What have you asked for and maybe should have pleaded for? Where you paying attention to the actions required? Did you avoid obstacles to get around them, or did you take the direction that God wanted you to go another way? Are you pleading to know God’s Way?

As I work through this life, I take on many tasks and some are successful and others fail. I tend to focus on the failure (which is 1 out of 5ish). What about the other 4 times I succeeded? Shouldn’t I look at those times more intently?

“²I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:2 (ESV)

Wow, God does not fail. Everything He sets out to accomplish is a success. That includes my failure. When I am doing the work of God, I may not see the success, but God does and knows my intent and heart. Everything I do is for the success of God. I may not count the task as a success in my thinking, however my actions may (likely are if grounded in God’s Word) be just what God was looking for.

Are you looking at your tasks from a succeed/fail perspective, or as doing God’s work for his success? What is next on your agenda that you can look to obey God and not worry about your success or failure? Do you know that God does not fail?

“²⁵For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.” – Job 19:15 (ESV)

Job knew and was willing to state aloud and wanted for far greater declaration.

“²³Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! ²⁴Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever!” – Job 19:23-24 (ESV)

Here we are about 3500 years later and Jobs words are written. Ours is to love and know and to allow God to do his work in his timing. When we know God will prevail, we are allowing him to work in our lives. We may not see his work here on earth, for like Job, we may only be required to know and state, but we will see our righteous work in heaven as our reward.

Are you doing God’s work? Are you looking for the immediate gratification and reward? Or, are you simply shouting from the rooftops and continuing to work for God? Do you know that your Redeemer lives, and make it know that you do?

Think of that word, discipline and what comes to mind. I believe that most think of punishment and accountability as in; “He was disciplined for speaking negatively about a classmate”. But what about the other meaning of care and determination; “His discipline kept him on track when the weather turned difficult”.

“⁵Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you. ⁶So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him.” – Deuteronomy 8:5-6 (ESV)

Moses refers to both meanings here in these two verses. We are responsible for disciplining our children when things are not right, and we are also responsible for demonstrating and teaching a disciplined walk, which is likely more important.

I think of my wife’s grandfather and the discipline he demonstrated through life. He is an amateur woodworker who collected his tools of the trade over the years (about 40) from my wife and her mother. At 96, he is now handing those tools back to them in great condition to be used by me and my boys. This would not be possible if there was not disciplined care for those over the years.

What is your thought of discipline? How are you demonstrating that discipline? Do you know discipline and discipline?

We cannot see the future, however we know our destination. God provides our destination of heaven. We are not given insight into the journey, but our destination is clear.

“¹³Then the Lord said to Abram, ‘Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred year.’” – Genesis 15:13 (ESV)

God did not pull any punches with Abram, in fact, it appears that God punched him right in the gut by telling him that his offspring will be servants for four hundred years. Tough sledding for Abram at this moment. Look at the next verse.

“¹⁴But I will bring judgement on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.” – Genesis 15:14 (ESV)

God tells Abram the good news. Now here is the part that got me. How did Abram know? God told him. It is not written down for him to follow. No map or directions. But Abram believed and had faith.

We have it written down. We have a map and directions. The BIBLE is our guide and how we know. We only have to study to understand.

When you are wondering which direction you are headed and where to turn next, are you consulting a map? Are you looking at the directions? Are you using your resources to get insight into what is next? How we can know – “the Bible tells me so”.

When we are born, we already have a task to complete. God has given us an important assignment.

“⁷⁶And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, ⁷⁷to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, ⁷⁸because of the tender mercy of our God,” – Luke 2:76-78 (ESV)

I know, this passage is referring to John the Baptist, but is it just about him? Aren’t we to “give knowledge of salvation” and deliver the message of “the tender mercy of our God”? John the Baptist was, in that day, prophesied to lead the path for Jesus’ coming and guide the people to Him. Don’t we have that same role today?

And what was John guiding the people to?

“⁷⁸…whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high ⁷⁹to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” – Luke 1:78-79 (ESV)

And there you go, Jesus, he was guiding them to Jesus. Aren’t we to be guiding the people to God so that He can “give light” and “guide” us to “peace”?

We are in a position here to guide the people and we should take that seriously. It is a task that has been on our to-do list for quite a while.

Are you working to guide the people? Where is that task on your to-do list? Have you struck it off, is it one of those items that you never really complete, but continue to work at?