Looking Ahead

Queen Elizabeth has died and King Charles has come to the throne in her place.  All sorts of conversations have taken place and will again in many places as everyone wonders what things will look like now the Queen is gone.

Life is never the same for a family when a loved one is lost and now for nations as the beloved head of state has passed away. 

I’ve been thinking of what it must have been like 2000 years ago after Jesus Christ had risen from the dead and ascended back into heaven.  Life was never the same for that rag tag band of men and women who had become His followers. 

With the view of history, we now know that because of them, life was never the same for the rest of the world either as their faithful sharing of the message of the Gospel changed so much in the world and continues to do so.

In so many ways, people come to realize that life as they knew it is now gone.  It could be the death of family member, the loss of a job, a graduation, a marriage in the family – all sorts of events change the life we knew and whatever emerges on the other ide of that even takes some adjustment. 

Wise people learn to gently and respectfully let things go.  They learn to find God in the moment that seem strange and unfamiliar as they allow the lessons and gifts from what has been to fill them and prepare them for what is ahead. 

God has a wonderful future for us.  Will we receive it and allow God to lead us into it?  That’s what we’ll pray and ask God’s help and blessing for today.

Heavenly Father, You are with us.  You’ve always been with us.  You will go forward with us into what is to us an unknown future but which for You is well known and completely prepared for.  You are always making all things new if we will let You. 

Help us, as the Apostle Paul did, let go of the past and not be intimidated by our unknown future but to simply do today with you:

One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14

We are your people.  Our times are in Your hands.  God, we gladly affirm that You are skillfully in charge and Your purposes for our lives and Your kingdom are going forward without a hitch. 

We want to let You lead us forward, as we trust that the path You put before us is steady and safe.  We pray: 

Teach us to do your will, for you are our God; may your good Spirit lead us on level ground.

Psalm 143:10