“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:34
Have you ever suddenly hit a pothole? You didn’t know it was there; it suddenly appeared. Had you known, you might have slowed down a bit more, allowing you time to swerve to the left or right to avoid it, but by the time you saw it, it was too late. Pow, and there it was! At the very least, it was annoying; it might even damage your car, or, at worst, you might lose control. Unseen potholes are a nuisance and perhaps even dangerous.
Life is also filled with potholes, and rarely do you get a heads-up that they are coming. If you knew life’s potholes were coming, there might be things you would have done differently, but seldom do you get advance warning. But why not? God obviously knows you are about to hit a pothole. He knows about the problems you will face every day of your life. A heads-up would be nice, or would it?
I think it might be a blessing that our Lord does not reveal to us all the difficulties we will face in the years to come on our journey with Christ. If I had known all the problems I would encounter in the ministry, it would have been far more tempting to remain in the secular world. That world, at least for me, was a lot easier and with a lot less pressure. I’ve made far more enemies and faced far more opposition in the ministry than I ever did in the business world. So, in His mercy, God seldom reveals to us early on all the things that we will go through and have to face in life.
Of course, that does not mean we are never warned of the potholes we will face. Sometimes, God does offer His saints a fairly solid glimpse of what their lot will be. For example, in Acts 9:13-16, we read this about what God told Ananias about the conversion of Saul:
“Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.”
We know that Paul suffered greatly for his faith, enduring numerous persecutions and opposition. In this case, God warned him well in advance that this would be the path he must travel.
But generally speaking, most of us can’t see what might be around the next corner. When we read Scriptures like Psalm 119:105, where the Bible says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet.” We here understand that we receive enough light for each step we take, and not always for all the miles ahead.
We have the general Word of God with us at all times, but specific guidance and particular divine leading might be harder to come by. One reason is that if we knew all the details in advance, we would not have to rely on faith. Not knowing much about the future means there is nothing or no one we can truly rely on but God.
Also, if a lot of stuff about the upcoming years were revealed to us long ago, most of us would have been too astounded even to want to take the next step. We might have told God that our burdens were too much for us to handle. We would tend to want to tell God, “Please don’t let me go through this, even if it is good for me.”
Or, perhaps we would spend all our efforts trying to avoid the very problems God intended to use to make us champions. I might become so focused on protecting myself that I lose sight of the big picture of serving others and following Christ.
When I became a Christian nearly 50 years ago, I had no idea what would happen over the ensuing decades. I honestly didn’t know specifically what God might call me to do. Whether it was missionary work, evangelism, or teaching, I had no idea what might lie ahead. The fact that I ended up being a pastor, working in Christian education, and Christian radio has all been quite a surprise.
Over the past half century, there have been various trials and hardships. If I had known about them in advance, I might not have been as eager to leave the secular world. Conflicts, betrayals, disappointments, and loss have all been part of my journey. We’ve faced budget shortfalls, fires, floods, and COVID lockdowns. We’ve fought against misguided policies and measures imposed by heavy-handed government officials intoxicated with power and control. We’ve been under attack from outside and sometimes from within. And there’s no sign of relief in sight.
Of course, we know that God grants us grace at the moment we need it, not in advance. You don’t have the grace today for tomorrow’s problems.
“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:34
That promise has indeed been fulfilled many times over the years. God has poured out abundant grace upon us, and it has always been more than enough. However, if I had known years ago about all the challenges I would face, in my weakness I might have reconsidered entering the ministry. And part of that grace was God not revealing everything to me ahead of time.
Corrie ten Boom, in her book “The Hiding Place,” recalls an incident from her childhood when she was returning home on a train with her father. She had accompanied him on a trip to buy parts for his watchmaking business. Recently, she had heard the term “sexsin” in a poem at school, so she asked her father what it meant. Her father thought for a moment, then stood up and took down his suitcase from the rack. He said, “Will you carry this off the train for me, Corrie?”
Corrie stood up and with a child’s hand she tugged at the suitcase. It was packed full of the watches and spare parts he had bought on the trip. “It’s too heavy,” she said. “Yes,” her father replied. “And it would be a pretty poor father who would ask his little girl to carry such a load. It’s the same way, Corrie, with knowledge. Some knowledge is too heavy for children. When you are older and stronger, you will be able to handle it. For now, you must trust me to carry it for you.”
As a wise Father, our Lord also knows when knowledge becomes too much for us to handle. He is not being cruel or heartless when He withholds the full explanation. He is carrying our burdens (I Peter 5:7). He promises that the burdens He gives us to carry will always be light (Matthew 11:30).
I realize my burdens have been relatively light compared to others’. Things have been pretty easy for me. Still, if I had known what lay ahead, I might have hesitated before stepping into the ministry. But God is wise and loving enough to tell us what we need to know and to withhold, at least for a time, what we do not need to know. God is merciful in not revealing everything to us. He gives us enough to sustain us if we trust Him, but often that doesn’t feel like enough. Usually, we want to know more.
It is essential to note that this holds true not only for our personal lives but also for what is happening globally. God provides us with understanding of everything we need to know about world events, politics, and culture, but He does not reveal everything.
“Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.” Habakkuk 1:5
God told Habakkuk that if I were to tell you all the things I am doing, you wouldn’t believe it. If God were to tell us today what He’s doing in the world or the things He’s accomplishing in our lives, we couldn’t understand it either. Don’t think that God has given up or stepped down from His throne. He hasn’t. He’s still in control. And those of us who know Him trust in Him and Him alone. When everything else fails, crumbles, and shatters, He’ll be there.
Chances are, you’ll encounter a few more potholes along your journey. Most likely, you won’t know when or where they’ll appear. Pow, suddenly you will face another shaking! So, perhaps the best advice is the same as Paul gave the church at Ephesus.
Ephesians 5:15 “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,”
Be as prepared as you can, trusting in the Word of God to guide every step, and rely on God for the things beyond your control.
Dr. Worthington has been in the ministry nearly fifty years and serves as President of Pathway Ministries and Christian Bible College.