Only God Knows Our Future

God knows our future, but we don’t know what tomorrow brings.

How do you know what is going to happen tomorrow? For the length of your lives is as uncertain as the morning fog—now you see it; soon it is gone” — James 4:14 (TLB).

“I have all the time in the world.” After reading this quote from a 25-year-old, who had just won a six-figure payout in a tournament competition, I wanted to tell him, “No, you don’t.”

His comment was in response to a reporter’s question about the young man’s plans for the prize money he had won. He planned to save it, for now, according to the newspaper article but was considering a vacation with a college friend.

While some of us may live 100-plus years, others are taken away much too soon. As I write this, my heart is sick for the loss of an elderly neighbor and friend. In his late 80s, Dave was killed in a car accident on May 30. His wife, Josie, had to undergo surgery for a broken leg and is still in critical condition.

My last glimpse of them had been that morning when they drove by my house. They waved and Dave honked as I was standing in my front yard visiting with other neighbors. I didn’t know it would be the last time I would ever see him — at least on earth.

This couple has experienced their own share of loss. Before they met and married, each had lost spouses at an early age. Dave had also lost a daughter to cancer. He once said to me, “You’re not supposed to outlive your children.”

I’ve known other parents who’ve outlived their children, including a family who lost two sons. It’s something I pray I never have to face. But none of us knows what tomorrow will bring. Only God does.

The day of our death will not be a matter of chance. The Bible tells us our days are numbered and scripture makes it clear our lives are in God’s hands. In Job 14:5, we read, “Our time on earth is brief; the number of our days is already decided by you.”

We don’t have all the answers to the complex questions about death, but we know someday, we will die. I think the question we need to ask is, “Are you prepared for that day?”

Have you given your life to Christ, trusting Him and asking Him to forgive you for your sins? Have you made a personal commitment to follow Him? I shudder to think what those who don’t understand the importance of this commitment will face when they die.

What about your loved ones? Have you shared the message of our precious Savior’s sacrifice on the cross? Do they know Jesus came to give us life — right now and in the world to come? Do they have the comfort of knowing where they will spend eternity?

When we know Christ, we can say, just as the psalmist did, “My times are in your hands” (Psalm 31:15). Jesus came to give us eternal life. Have you accepted His invitation?