A Strange Mercy

There is divine mercy in not knowing what is ahead.  If we were given the gift of clarity and certainty about what tomorrow or next week would bring, we would no doubt spend the moments between now and then with such anxiety that living would be impossible.  Or, we would end up trying to manipulate the future so that tomorrow's story would have a different ending.  Of course, all the worry or work has little bearing on what is ahead in the unknown future which stretches ahead of us.    

When Abraham said yes to God's call to go, he had no idea where the act of going in obedience would take him. When Moses headed back to Egypt from the wilderness, he could not have imagined the circumstances which God would unfold in his life.  And when those disciples of long ago decided to leave everything and follow Jesus, they only thought they knew what such a response would mean for them.  Surely, when they looked back they must have realized they had no clue what it meant to follow Jesus into an unknown future.   To follow Jesus is to always follow into an unknown future.  The one thing Jesus never promised was an easy way.  He made it clear from the beginning that discipleship granted no exemptions from adversity, hard times, and difficulties.  

Anyone who reads the story of the gospel and comes to a different conclusion needs to read it one more time.  The truth is we never know what is ahead.  We only know Who is ahead.  Knowing Who is ahead means knowing that the One who is in charge of what is ahead is out there ahead of us making the way that might seem impossible, possible.  How thankful we are that we have learned that the One who holds tomorrow also holds us and everything which will touch us for harm and for good.