Today's Daily Bread
Uncontrollable Unexpected
Our Daily Bread
Life is full of surprises—some of which take life in unwelcome
directions. I still remember the shockwave that hit our family several
decades ago when my father lost his job through no fault of his own.
With a house full of kids to feed, it was a jarring blow. But as
certainly as Dad’s job loss was beyond his control and unexpected, he
still knew he could trust God for his future.
As Jesus’ followers, we must recognize that there are things in life
that are the “uncontrollable unexpected,” as I call them. To help us in
those moments, James 4:13-15 offers this wisdom: “Come now, you who say,
‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year
there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what
will happen tomorrow. . . . Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord
wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ ” The people to whom James
was writing were making plans while excluding God’s prerogative to
direct their lives.
Is it wrong to plan for the future? Of course not. It is unwise,
however, to forget that God may allow some “uncontrollable unexpected”
events as He sees fit. 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.
I know who holds the future,
And I know who holds my hand;
With God things don’t just happen—
Everything by Him is planned. —A. Smith
And I know who holds my hand;
With God things don’t just happen—
Everything by Him is planned. —A. Smith
We may not know what the future holds, but we can trust the One who holds the future.
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