G. He Knows the Future

 This Guiding Light is 
from our archives 2011-2018

He Knows The Future (and The Way)
Today's Guiding Light is day one of a six-day study. We hope you will enjoy this devotional and consider reading the remainder of the week's Going Deeper.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken. (Isa. 53:7-8 NKJV)

[Day 1 Core Study] He Prepares You

THOUGHT TO PONDER:

In today's Scripture, we read an incredible detail describing the death that was still to come for Jesus, who had not yet been born! If God's Word can so mightily (and in vivid detail) describe to His people of what was to come in the future (a hundred years later) back then … isn't it possible that He can and does still even now?

INSIGHT INTO HIS WORD:

Sometimes when God speaks (or) shows you "your what is to come"… it is so easy to lean toward the thought of "surely not," or that was just a coincidence or my imagination. My friend, take His Words to heart; hear Him speak to you, listen to Him, and take some time to reflect on what He is trying to show you. Could it be a blessing to come, and He is trying to give you hope that there is still something to look forward to? Maybe it is a warning, and He is trying to make you aware of something that may be wrong for you, or He may be preparing you for something coming up and wants you to know, "This is the step I want you to take."

~ My friend, today I would like to share a story with you ~

Note: this incident happened in 2009, and then I wrote about it in 2011.

Towards the end of May two years ago (as I write this), the number forty started "echoing" inside of me. I couldn't get it off my mind, and in my spirit, it kept moving within me. Now I know that forty is a biblical number and that it has often been a significant time frame for God's people (e.g., forty days, forty years), but I couldn't figure out why it seemed so important to me at this particular time in my life. (Now I understand that God was trying to get my attention.)

Friends kept telling me it was because I was turning forty in a few months, which is why it was so noticeable to me. I could have accepted this, except for the fact that turning forty really didn't bother me. On June 1st, I cleared my calendar, purchased a new prayer journal, and began watching and listening for God's direction and "power verses" that spoke powerfully to me while reading my Bible.

Exactly forty days later, I lost my job!

Not thirty-nine days, and not forty-one days.
But FORTY DAYS on the dot!

But the remarkable thing is that the very next day, I walked into the new future and the plans God had waiting for me. I stepped onto an unknown path and began a journey I wasn't sure would lead anywhere. I only knew that overnight God had moved very much in my life. I was nervous, YES. But I wasn't scared. You see, He had been preparing me for the entire 40 days. The same verses that leaped out at me in my daily Bible reading were showing up EVERYWHERE. Every time I turned around, it was the same set of Scriptures and message.

At the time, it would have been very easy for me to brush it off as just a coincidence, but God had my attention. Songs on the radio, conversations in passing with friends, and daily devotionals I followed at the time; the same message and sets of Scriptures (which were very personal to me) were repeated in many different ways. So when life erupted, I knew God had spoken, and it WAS TIME to move. So I simply trusted.

My friend, long before Jesus was born, Scripture spoke of Him, and God's Word came to pass. But He wasn't the only one. In Isa. 44:28, Cyrus was named as God's servant who would rebuild the temple in Jerusalem—a hundred years BEFORE Cyrus was ever born! In fact, when this was announced, the temple hadn't even been destroyed yet! But God warned His people of impending destruction and also offered a message of hope that restoration would eventually come. When Cyrus became king of Persia, it came to his attention what the prophets had said about him long ago. It was shown to Cyrus what God had already declared about him. So Cyrus obeyed, and he let people go who had a heart to rebuild God's temple. (Now read Ezra 1:1-11) My friend, God's Word came true.

Have you ever just "known" something, even though you couldn't see it yet? But deep inside, you just "knew." For instance, when a decision had to be made, you already knew what direction to take. Or maybe you had "inner insight" about what God was going to do in your life, so you prepared little by little. My friend, that would be discernment from God, preparing you before His hand is revealed in your life.

God truly does "open the eyes of our hearts" so that we can see His direction and follow His lead —if we would just seek Him. His Word will come to life in you in a whole new way when you are genuinely looking for Him. Passages you have read before will take on a whole new meaning for you in different seasons as He reveals His Heart and plans for you, if you will just "listen" as you spend time in His Word.

My friend, God isn't going to give us a crystal ball or show us every little thing that is up ahead; if He did, we wouldn't learn how to depend on Him. But He will lead us and guide us. And when needed, He will give us insight that can ONLY come from Him. And then at the right time-- in His time, His Word will prove accurate. My Friend, He knows what your future holds, and He knows how to see you through. His part is to be GOD, our part is to listen and move as He directs.

~ Now For Your Turn ~

{} Read Luke 1:13

• Question: Why do you think it was so hard for Zechariah to believe?

{} Read Judges 4:6-7

• Summarize what Deborah told Barak.

My friend, again, here is someone encouraging someone else from what God had revealed about them, and giving insight as to what was to come. This time, we see that it isn't that God's servant (Barak) doesn't believe, but he, like Moses, wanted someone to go with him. He tells Deborah he would go, but only if she went as well. But, because of Barak's persistence in putting conditions on his willingness to go, Deborah told him that he (Barak) would still have victory; however, someone else would receive recognition for it.

{} Read Judges 4:8-10

• Question: Given the situation, what would you have done?

In Genesis 37:5-11, we read that God gave Joseph two dreams. It wasn't until years later that they came to pass, and Joseph fully understood what they meant. But when God's Word came true, Joseph was able to look back and realize why things had happened in his life, and he was able to see the bigger picture. (Genesis 50:15-21)

Sometimes (like in Joseph's case) God will give us just a glimmer of something still to come. He does this to provide us with hope and to encourage us not to give up when trials and heartache come before His promises are fulfilled. God in all His wisdom knows how long it will be, and if it is going to be a while, then in His mercy and grace, He will shed light on what we have to look forward to, just so we can hold on.

• When looking back at your life, when was there a time that you knew God had forewarned you of something to come? (It doesn't have to be of a bad time-- just a time that God was working in your heart to prepare you for something.) At the time, did you notice it, or only in retrospect after it had happened?

And finally:

{} Read John 16:13

• Have you ever taken into consideration that all your "little knowings", all the little warnings and insight-- were actually that of His Holy Spirit, telling YOU of "things to come" and fulfilling His promise to you?

PRAYING IN FAITH:

Father God, what a wonderful thing You do for us, as You open up Your Word to lead us and guide us. Lord, thank You for the many times You speak of things to come so that we may have hope and not give up when things get tough. Lord, thank You that You sustain us and pick us up when it seems like we can't go any further. Lord, thank You for Your amazing grace that shelters us when we stumble trying to make it through.

Lord, I hold hands with this reader that You have brought me along today. Lord, may You strengthen them and give them courage. Lord, I pray that You will open the eyes of their heart to see You leading them, and open their ears to hear You directing them. Lord, may You steady their feet and guide them in each step.

Lord, I pray that as You reveal things to them, they will have an open mind to accept Your revelations. Lord, as You prepare them, I pray they will not harden their hearts towards You today.

In Christ Jesus' Name, Amen.

My friend, I pray you have a wonderful day and a blessed week!

~ Kassie

This Guiding Light devotional is day one of a six-day study. We encourage you to print out (for free) the whole 6-day study devotional. And we would love for you to leave us a comment and let us know how you are doing.

>> Click here for our free PDF of He Knows the Future