The Promise of a Future

What has God promised us? Part 4!

I loved my academic adviser in college. Les Anderson was quite a guy. He’d been in the journalism field for decades, and he was highly respected in the Wichita community. I was so blessed to call him a friend.

I remember a meeting with him. It was toward the end of my junior year, I think. We had to talk about the direction I was going and make sure that I was suited for a career in journalism, based on my academic performance.

I will always remember what he told me in that meeting: He told me I had a future as a writer. That meant the world to me—for someone who wasn’t a peer, wasn’t a family member, to believe that about me.

Knowing that he believed I had a future as a writer motivated me to continue pursuing writing as a career. And, well, here I am. If you’re reading this and finding value in it, you can thank Les.

Isn’t it interesting how knowing you have a future will spur you to action?

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Jeremiah 29:11

This verse is taken out of context frequently, so let me summarize the background. This was written to Israel after they had been taken into captivity. Kind of a weird thing to tell folks after something like that, but hey, God does what He wants.

What’s wonderful about this reminder is that God has promised us a future. And not just any future. A good future. He did this so that we’d have hope.

I’ve found that I can weather trouble today if I know that tomorrow will be good. Whatever I’m fighting through right now will be worth it if next week is better. That’s the power of having a future.

Someone I trusted told me I had a future as a writer, so I was willing to sacrifice and struggle to achieve that goal.

So if God has promised a future, I think I can manage the bad days. I can press on with hope, because I’ve got a future. God’s already seen it, and He said it’s good.

Questions for Reflection:

• Have you thought about your plans for your future? Have you talked to God about them?

• How do bad days (or bad weeks or months) affect your perspective on the future?

• How would you define a “good” future?

Week 50 Memory Verse: