January 3 Devotion - Depend on and follow God's will

 

Since no one knows the future, who can tell someone else what is to come?

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

 لا سَبِيلَ لِلإنْسانِ إلَى مَعرِفَةِ المُسْتَقبَلِ، لِأنَّهُ ما مِنْ أحَدٍ يَقدِرُ أنْ يُخبِرَهُ بِما سَيَحْدُثُ.

وَأَنْتُمْ، يَا مَنْ تُخَطِّطُونَ قَائِلِينَ: «الْيَوْمَ أَوْ غَداً، نَذْهَبُ إِلَى مَدِينَةِ كَذَا، وَنَقْضِي هُنَاكَ سَنَةً، فَنُتَاجِرُ وَنَرْبَحُ». 14 مَهْلاً! فَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْرِفُونَ مَاذَا يَحْدُثُ غَداً! وَمَا هِيَ حَيَاتُكُمْ؟ إِنَّهَا بُخَارٌ، يَظْهَرُ فَتْرَةً قَصِيرَةً ثُمَّ يَتَلاشَى! 15 بَدَلاً مِنْ ذَلِكَ، كَانَ يَجِبُ أَنْ تَقُولُوا: «إِنْ شَاءَ الرَّبُّ، نَعِيشُ وَنَعْمَلُ هَذَا الأَمْرَ أَوْ ذَاك لا تَتَفاخَرْ بِالغَدِ، لِأنَّكَ لا تَعلَمُ ما الَّذِي يَأتِي بِهِ الغَد.

 

Ecclesiastes 8:7, James 4:13-15, Proverbs 27:1

No one knows the future, yet we sometimes take what we have for granted and plan as if we are guaranteed tomorrow. While we should plan, we need to ask God’s guidance first and then follow His plan. We often do the opposite; we plan then ask God to follow our plan by asking Him to bless it and make it successful. God is very clear in this area, He says you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” He compares our entire life to a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. While some may see this as demotivating it is quite the contrary because God loves us and knows what is best for us, he doesn’t want us to miss out on His best by doing it our way. He also encourages us by telling us to be:                                                                                      Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go

تَقَوَّ وَتَشَجَّعْ، لَا تَرْهَبْ ولا تَجْزَعْ لأَنَّ الرَّبَّ إِلَهَكَ مَعَكَ حَيْثُمَا تَتَوَجَّهُ

 Joshua 1:9

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, I pray that You strengthen me with power through Your Spirit, so that I always seek Your wisdom and Your plan for my life. Help me to always say if it is the Lord’s will, then I will do it. Thank You Father God that You love me and want the best for me, and You are the only One who knows what the future holds and what is best for me. Help me to realize that however long I live on earth my life is a mist in comparison to my eternal life with You in heaven. Help me to be of good courage and to keep my focus on the person, power, and presence of Jesus Christ in my life, instead of the circumstances of my life. Thank You Father God for being the strength of my life and for loving me with a deep and everlasting love, thank You for Your abundant blessings in my life, and for the riches of Your grace upon my life. Thank You God my Lord that You are the One who goes with me, and You will never leave me nor forsake me. Father God, I pray to You in the name of Your precious Son; my Redeemer and Saviour; the Lord of my life, Jesus Christ. To Jesus be the power, the glory, the majesty, the blessings, and the dominion before all time and now and forevermore. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein