2020. As I mentioned in this space last month, it amazes me to think how quickly time seems to have passed. When I was a kid, there was a TV show called “Space: 1999”. Think of “2001: A Space Odyssey”, or even “1984”. All of these were visions of the future, with the very dates in the titles meant to convey the futuristic sense.
And here we are in 2020. Here we are, in the future. But we aren’t, are we? We have seen the past. We are in the present (always), but we cannot even SEE the future.
Through the years, many ministers have, prophetically or otherwise, proclaimed “the year of ______”. Sometimes, there were cringe-worthy attempts to spiritualize it by rhyming. “’94 is a year of more”, “We’ll come alive in ‘95”, “Give the devil a fix in ‘96”, and so on. In anticipation of that type of thing, I posted a snarky Facebook status this time last year, warning other pastors that I was claiming “year of vision” for 2020, for obvious reasons.
But there is another common association with 2020, or more precisely, speaking of vision, 20/20, and that, of course, is hindsight. As in “hindsight is 20/20.” It’s a phrase often used as a response to “Monday morning quarterbacks” who boldly point out how something should OBVIOUSLY have been done or handled differently, failing to recognize that they are making these statements in full possession of knowledge that was unavailable to those who made whatever mistakes they made.
“Hindsight is 20/20” is also something we say, though, as an expression of regret. In a catchy tune from the ‘80s, George Benson sang of mistakes made in a romantic relationship: “If I knew back then what I know now/ If I understood the what, when, why, and how/Now it’s clear to me/What I should have done/But hindsight is 20/20 vision.”
There is a right way of looking at the past and learning from it. In one of my recent sermons I shared that knowing what God has done in the past should move us to praise Him for His promises of the future. If all we do when we examine the past is stew in regret, then we need to stop looking back. We need vision for the future.
But that’s easy to say; the fact is, no one can see the future. More precisely, none of US can see the future. But God can. Jehovah-Jireh, often translated as “God provides” is more accurately rendered “God sees”. He sees it all. God created time itself and sees the end from the beginning. So when we talk about having vision for the future, what we really need is to remember that God sees it already, and will guide us to it and through it.
From time to time, He may actually reveal it to us. More often than not, though, He simply guides us, and we trust Him. Whatever the future holds, whatever this year, 2020 holds, nothing will take God by surprise. If we do what He commands, go where He commands, we will find ourselves securely positioned on the path of blessing.
Listen to His counsel. Follow His advice. Obey His word. You need guidance? You need vision?There is an abundanceThere is no shortage
There is plenty… in twenty-twenty.
With You in Christ,
