Face the Future with Confidence
ICS Daily Devotions
Luke 5:3-6 (NKJV) Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.
Many of us are at a crossroads in our lives right now because of the sluggish economic climate. Therefore, we all need a firm footing to move forward with confidence.
The current crisis has brought about one thing: a return to the basics of walking by faith for all Christians. There seems to be considerable uncertainty over the coming few years. Many people will need to make significant adjustments to their lives. We can plan, strategise, and execute our plans, but ultimately, we will still have to revert to walking by faith because of the current shortage of opportunities in the marketplace.
All of us would like to face the future with confidence. As Christians, we can have faith in God that He has a good future in store for us. We are very blessed to have the Lord to journey with us daily, for He is the best coach, guide, helper, or strategist we could ever have in our lives.
From the opening passage, there are two things we can learn from Simon Peter. He was open to having Jesus come into his sphere of influence and his life. Second, he was also obedient to the Master. Sadly, not everyone is open to having Jesus speak into their lives, especially when it involves their professional careers. Many have separated the sacred from the secular. However, our work should be our worship to God. He wants us to be a good testimony for Him in the marketplace.
Meanwhile, many Christians are not interested in knowing God’s will for their lives because of their pride. They want absolute control over their business and their lives. Oftentimes, they will only listen to God when they have come to the end of themselves, humbled only when they are faced with an incurable illness, a scenario they cannot solve or escape, or a possible business failure. That’s when they are humble, teachable, and willing to worship God wholeheartedly.
However, it does not have to be like this. It is much better to walk in God’s will so we can be full of faith, confident, strong, and courageous when the storms come. It is very difficult to anchor our faith during the storms of life unless we know that we are in the middle of God’s will. Living out the consecrated life by living in God’s will gives us a faith that is rooted in His Word to us.
Reflection: Do you know if you are walking in God’s will right now? What keeps you from seeking His will and being obedient to it?
Sermon Series: Walk into the future with a word given by God
