UNCONTROLLABLE AND UNEXPECTED

Life is full of surprises—some of which are horrible. I still remember when my dad lost his job through no fault of his own. With a house full of kids to care for, it was a very stressful time. Dad’s job loss was out of his control and unexpected, yet he still knew he could trust God for his future.

As Jesus’ followers, we need to accept that there are things in life that are the “uncontrollable and unexpected”, as I call them. To help us in those moments, James 4:13-15 offers this advice: “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.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. . . . Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’ ” The people who James was writing to were making plans while forgetting that God was the one directing their lives.

Is it wrong to plan for the future? Of course not. It’s not a good idea, however, to forget that God may guide us through some “uncontrollable and unexpected” events. Ultimately, all that happens is for the best—even when it’s hard to see. We must trust Him and His plans for our future.

To pray about . . .

I know who holds the future, Father. And I know with You, things don’t just happen. There is always a reason. Please help me to trust You when things don’t make sense.

WE MAY NOT KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS, BUT WE CAN TRUST THE ONE WHO HOLDS THE FUTURE.

YouTh Edition – Our Daily Bread Ministries