Setting Sail

 What will the future look like?  Unfortunately, I'm not a fortune-teller or mind-reader.  I'm also not one who will second-guess the here and now in order to try to manipulate the future of my choosing.  (At least not anymore.  Think about Jacob the "heel-grabber" who tried to bring about God's plan using human "wisdom".)  Almighty God is the Great "I AM", not the Great "I Was" or the Great "I Will Be".  In His Heavenly Kingdom, it is always the eternal present and my life is viewed on that scale.  Father God knows what will become of my life, hopefully seen obediently in the midst of His perfect and loving design.  To get there, I must live in relationship and fellowship with my Lord and in community with other believers.  I also believe this is born out of a place of health and well-being, which means I must deal with the issues that have been ignored for so long.  (Trying to perfom His Will out of my own strength.)  All my life I have been chasing after a college education that never materialized, the wife I was sure God had in store for me, and the material trappings that resulted from years of hard work.  This scenario may have played out for a great majority of people who profess faith in the Living God, but I somehow fell through the cracks of life and missed out.  In the end, I'm finally beginning to see the Kingdom of God isn't a job title or fancy house.  It is giving glory and worship to the One from whom all blessings flow. Romans 14:17 states, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating or drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit."  In addition, I Corinthians 10:31 states, "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."  Of course there is nothing wrong with aspiring for a better life with creature comforts, but those initial blessings could rot like day-old manna and derail us from our true purpose.  What is that purpose?  To live out such a life that the only thing people see is Jesus.  If that is as a customer service agent answering back-to-back calls, then so be it.  Every day we must be prepared for what will come our way, and it may not always be peaches and cream.  Nonetheless, I must diligently trust God to be God and for Him to work out His grand plan in this world and my life.  He knows the skills, abilities, and talents He has inately given me, and my responsibility is to seek God for the use of those characteristics for the furtherance of His Kingdom.  I must do my part.  Do you know what's so great about that?  He works in me to do my part.  What do I have that didn't already come out of His hand?  Without my Abba Father, I am nothing and have nothing.  The life of faith is worthwhile for the good times as well as the bad.  Do you know Jesus?  Without Him you still have a future, but it will be devoid of true meaning and satisfaction.  Don't leave this life without Him.

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