Future Fear

The Urge

Most people are anxious to know their future. For this they depend on horoscopes or palm reading or go to meet astrologers. A few resort to more powerful methods or persons.

The sad fact is that all these sources of knowledge about the future have their origin in evil. The not so known fact about this is that these evil forces can wreck the lives of those who are associated with it.

But then there are those who prosper in spite of the evil associated with it. The Bible does not deny this possibility. The magicians of Pharaoh by their secret arts were able to reproduce some of the miracles that Moses performed at God’s command.

But then came a time when they were unable to do so. Then they said about the miracles: “This is the finger of God.1” These incidents tell us that evil forces do have power but they don’t have absolute power. They have only limited power.

As far as prosperity is concerned, the Bible has a different question to ask. Jesus asked this question once: “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?2

Those people who try to know their future through evil channels might gain the whole world. But they will spend eternity in the torments of hell.

Forbidden Practices

God has clearly commanded NOT to indulge in such wrong practices. Some of those commands are quoted here:

“Do not practice divination or sorcery” — Leviticus 19:26b NIV (Divination is the act of finding out and saying what will happen in the future)

“Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them” — Leviticus 19:31a NIV

“Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the sky, though the nations are terrified by them” — Jeremiah 10:2 NIV

The Fear Factor

All such evil has a fear factor associated with it. Those who practice it and those who follow it are ruled by fear. That is a sure sign that these things are from the evil one. For it is the devil who brings fear into our hearts. It is a trap.

When we fear we try to know our future so that we can escape from some evil that might come into our lives. But this kind of knowledge pulls us down into a whirlpool of fear.

The only exception is when God reveals the future. There are certain times when God does so. One verse which talks about this is found in Amos 3:7 — “Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets (NIV).”

Such knowledge of the future that comes from God will not have fear associated with it. Instead the peace of God will accompany it.

The Believer’s Response

A true Christian does not fear. God has commanded it in the Bible so many times. The message from God is always: “Do not fear!” This is because God and His children have a relationship of love. Fear does not have any role to play there.

If you have fear; it simply means that you have not grown in your love-relationship with God. There will come a time when you will be able to enjoy His love in a perfect manner. Then no fear will be there.

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” — (1 John 4:18 NIV).

It is only when you come to a full knowledge of His love for you will fear be driven out. Then you will no longer be afraid. When that happens there will no more fear of the future. This is because you then will have perfect confidence in God and His willingness and ability to care for you and provide for you.

More than that the full assurance that He has forgiven you and that you are His very own will dominate your heart. In life or in death, you will be sure that you will be with God. This surety is what makes you carefree about the future. He will not fail you nor forsake you; but will be with you till the very end.

So since you operate on the basis of love there is no fear of the future. That means you have full confidence in God and His plans for your future. Therefore you trust in His love and live one day at a time like the birds of the air!

That is the perfect response you can give to those people who operate out of fear. Their future is doomed; but your future is secure with God!

1. Exodus 8:19 NIV
2. Luke 9:25 NIV

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