Part 3: Facing the Unknown with Confidence

Key Passage: Romans 8:28-39
Supporting Scripture: Psalm 139:1, 7-12; Hebrews 4:13; Ephesians 1:4; Matthew 6:8, 32-34

When you look into the future, what do you see? Every single one of us must admit that we see nothing for certain.The future is unknown. Most of us are curious about what tomorrow holds for us, but the truth is that we cannot know for sure. People attempt to discover the future in many strange ways, but only God holds all the answers. Only He knows His plans for us.

When we think of the future, there are so many unknowns. How can we live every day with so many unanswered questions? How can we have the peace and confidence we need, in the midst of so much uncertainty?

Romans 8:28-39 is filled with reasons why we can live with assurance from God when so much is unknown. Paul writes, “If God is for us, who is against us?” (verse 31).


Scriptural Principles:

1 Focus on God’s omniscience.
Omniscience is a word that means all-knowing.With God there are no unknowns.Therefore, we can be assured that while the future may seem mysterious from our vantage point, there is no mystery at all from God’s perspective. If you and I trust our loving Father, we can trust His plans for the future. In Romans 8:28 we have the promise that He uses all things to work together for the good of those who love Him. Bad things may happen, but He will ultimately use everything for our benefit because He loves us. He knows the future and He knows us:“O Lord, You have searched me and known me” (Psalm 139: 1). Hebrews 4:13 tells us that because nothing is hidden from Him,we can bring every care to Him.

As we think of life’s unknowns, therefore, our first principle is that with God there are no unknowns.

2 Focus on God’s sovereignty.
Sovereignty is a word that means God is in full control. How can God cause all things to work together for His own purposes? He can do so because He is Lord and Master of this universe; He is in control. Ephesians 1:4 tells us that God chose us before the world was created. He knew you and I would be saved, even before we were born. For God there are no unknowns, and there is nothing that is outside His control. The Old Testament tells the story of Joseph, who suffered in so many ways before becoming the prime minister of Egypt. God was always in control. He had a plan for Joseph, and He has a plan for you. Our sovereign God rules over every detail of your life, so that when circumstances are out of your control, you can be certain they are not out of His control.

3 Focus on God’s presence.
One of the most awesome truths about our God is that He is not only in control and all-knowing—our God is present with us. Psalm 139:7-12 tells us that there is nowhere in the universe we can go to be apart from the awesome presence of God. Romans 8:37-39 tells us that nothing can separate us from the love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. God’s knowledge, power, and presence surround us everywhere we go. In the person of the Holy Spirit, our Savior has come to indwell us, so that He guides us and counsels us every moment of every day.The truth is that we could not escape the incredible presence of God even if we wanted to do so.We can rise every morning in the wonderful knowledge that He will be with us wherever we go. Therefore, why should we live in fear or uncertainty?

4 Focus on God’s provision.
We can also remember that we serve a God who has promised to fill every need we could ever have. Just how willing is He to do that? Romans 8:31-32 tells us that He would not spare His own Son. God the Father loved us enough to allow Jesus, His own Son, to be crucified because of our need of forgiveness. We also read that He will freely give us all things that we truly need. In Matthew 6:8 Jesus said that our Father knows what we need even before we ask Him. In Matthew 6:32-34, Jesus said that if we seek first His kingdom and righteousness, all these things would be added for us. Every day, you and I have the opportunity to live in the knowledge that He will supply every single need, so that we can live in joy, confidence, and eagerness to serve Him.

5 Focus on God’s love for you.
There is no more comforting, reassuring or wonderful passage in Scripture than Romans 8, where Paul tells us that God’s love is so powerful that no trial in life can ever come between that love and us: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (verses 38, 39).That awesome love will shelter us in every situation. It was demonstrated when Christ gave Himself on the cross for us. He loves you and me so much that He longs to wrap His loving arms around us and hold onto us for all eternity, never letting go.We can be reassured in any
uncertainty, knowing that a love so powerful enfolds us every moment of every day.

6 Face the unknown by confessing your sin and accepting God’s forgiveness.
When you consider this incredible passage from the Apostle Paul, you may wonder how you can experience such an indescribable love. If you want to be able to face every unknown in life with confidence, begin by acknowledging your sinfulness. Every human being has fallen short of God’s perfect standards. That sin has separated us from God and His love, and we need an intercessor to bring us back into His presence. That intercessor is Jesus Christ, who paid the full penalty for our sins through His death on the cross. Only He could have expressed that perfect love and perfect forgiveness, for He was God in the flesh. Acknowledge your sin; accept His free gift of forgiveness; experience His cleansing of every sin.


Conclusion:

Isn’t it wonderful to know the amazing depths of the love of God? We step into the future without any clear expectation of what lies ahead of us. Yet we know that His knowledge is perfect, so that none of it is a mystery to Him; His control is all-encompassing, so that nothing is beyond His Lordship; His presence is permanent, so that we need never be alone; and His love for us is eternal, so that nothing in this life or the next one can ever separate us from it.

My friend, have you experienced this awesome love? Are you looking to the future with the joy of anticipation rather than the uneasiness of fear? I pray that you will surrender to Him today as your Lord and your Savior, so that every stain of sin that separates you from God will be removed. Only then can you bask in that perfect love that He has had for you since even before the world was formed.