Faith in God's Future

(Watch this video first)

What if you won the lottery? What would you do with the money. I spent much time considering this conundrum, as I'm sure you have too. It's an important question, after all, assuming you actually play the lottery, your chances would be 1 in 14,000,000 to 1 in 140,000,000 depending on what lottery you are playing. For more information on this subject go here: http://www.lottery-syndicate-world.com/chances-of-winning-the-lottery.html. I personally have never played the lottery, other than buying a few one or two dollar scratch-its, but I have a very good idea of how and where I would spend my millions when I get them. Here is a question that I have not considered, however. When made to choose between the option of being a man of great wisdom or winning 100 million dollars, which would I choose? 

There was a man who lived long ago who was given this choice. It was like the whole "genie" scenario, except for the fact that it was real, and it was one wish given by God. Here's what happened. 

1 Ki 3:5  In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, "Ask what you wish me to give you." 

1Ki 3:6  Then Solomon said, "You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 

1Ki 3:7  "Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 

1Ki 3:8  "Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. 

1Ki 3:9  "So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" 

1Ki 3:10  It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. 

1Ki 3:11  God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, 

1Ki 3:12  behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. 

1Ki 3:13  "I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days. 

1Ki 3:14  "If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days." 

What do people value?  To answer this question, take a look at the people that we idolize.  Those who have it all. The "all" would be the millions of dollars, fame, and power.  The world has defined what we should pursue in our future. Most of us, including myself, at some point have bought into this. When we look at our future we try to make plans that will put us in the position to obtain some or all of these things. 

I want to tackle the idea of faith and how it relates to our future. I have been learning a lot about this in my life recently. If you are like me, a young adult trying to determine the course of his life and future, this is a huge issue for you. You are dealing with this right now.  If you are on either side of this point in your life, whether you are younger and still have some more time until you have to tackle this head on, or if you have dealt with this already, this still applies to you.  You are going to have to deal with this, or you will have to continue to deal with this in the future. 

I used the words "deal with this issue" a lot. Why?  The reason is because the future can be a very scary place. And having the pressure of deciding where your life is going to go is immense!  Faith has to be key to you in this time! You can choose to strike out on your own and do your best, or you can have faith in the God that is neither bound by time nor constrained by human inabilities. God has no future; He is outside of time. As a Christian, this is very comforting to me! 

So what does choosing option "B", following and having faith in God with regard to your future, look like? The first thing I want to point out is that God's view of success is different than the world's view of success. God's "wealth" is different than the world's "wealth".  God's future is different than the world's future. This is where faith steps into the picture. As followers of Christ, we have to buy into the concept that God's future will make you happier, leave you more fulfilled, and work out much better in the long run than the world's future. All that the world values will end up leaving you empty and looking for more, for a deeper meaning to life.  You have experienced this!  I know that you have felt the emptiness inside when following the world's ideals. You have never experienced this when following God and in a close relationship with Him. If you look honestly into your life, you find that this is true. Think back and remember.  

Faith also comes into play in our planning.  We have to have faith that God will handle the details.  For some of you, that may not be hard, but for others, like myself, it can be extremely difficult.  This is what caused me to start buying into the world's future.  God was showing me a destination in the future, but He was not showing me how I would get there, and that was scary for me!  It's just like the story of Abraham in the Bible. God told Abraham to leave his plush life and start walking into the sunset. God did not provide him with a road map, only told him where to start, and told him to have Faith.  Abraham did, and as a result He was called the Father of the Faithful, he became the first in the lineage of Jesus, and he was ultimately the father of the Jewish nation. All of Christendom are now his descendants through faith.  Have Faith that God is big enough, that God is powerful enough, and that God is willing enough to handle the details of your future. Set out to follow Him in Faith, and you will be amazed at the result! 

Faith always demands that we surrender something we value for something of greater value.  Faith in God's future demands that we give up the security we find in personal control, and replaces it with the security that we find when God is in control.  It also demands that we give up our lust for power, wealth, and fame, and replaces it with joy and a peace that is out of this world! 

"Are you with me or against me?
Noticed you're sitting on the fence.
We wondered why you're not cut and dry.
You got to choose our side and live, or their side and die.
Which hand holds your soul?
Do you want to guess one?
If it scares you to death, may that be your lesson.
It's your decision, make it the best one." 

- Relient K