"look Ahead In 2020"

“Look Ahead in 2020”

Deuteronomy 34:1-8

“Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.”

So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day. Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished. And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days.”

Luke 4:1-8

“Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.

And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”

But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ”

Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”

And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”

It is not unusual to look ahead. God allowed Moses to see what he was missing because of his rebellion and Satan showed Jesus what could be His if He only rebelled against the will of God. Satan was showing Jesus a short-cut that avoided the cross and the pain that lay before Him. It was a real temptation to Jesus. His fleshly side was tempted. But He said the same thing to Satan as He was to say to Peter for tempting Him with the same thing, “Get behind me, Satan!”

As we face this New Year ahead of us, I would like to see with 2020 vision- but unlike Moses, my eyesight is not so good. I cannot see into the future. What I know of the future is only what God has revealed in His Word. I don’t know what tomorrow brings. But because I know who holds the future – my heart is full as we embark on this adventure. It is 1. Hopeful; 2. Joyful; and 3. Faithful.

First of all, it is 1. Hopeful. Hope is the expectation that God will keep His Word. Hope is the expectation that God will do as He says He will. We can depend on Him. He is immutable. He is unchanging. The Word of God says,

“I, the Lord, do not change…” Malachi 3:6

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

James 1:1

“God will hear and answer them-- Even the one who sits enthroned from of old—(Selah) With whom there is no change...” Psalm 55:19

As I look ahead, I am confident that God has everything under control. He always has – and He isn’t going to change now. God has revealed Himself to us as being loving and kind and patient and forgiving. He has shown Himself to be strong and mighty. He lifts up the needy and defends the defenseless. He hears our prayers and works on our behalf. And He saves the best for last. We talked about that last week. Remember Abram? He was 75 years old before God called him to his grand adventure that resulted in him becoming a father of nations. Job went through his trials and tribulations but God saved the best for last. He blessed the later years of his life more than the former years. God restored his wealth and reputation. After his trials he had seven sons and three beautiful daughters. He lived a long and prosperous life. God saved the best for last.