The idea of "someday" seems so innocent. Our lives are often consumed with the troubles of today. Media continues to bombard us with fear, making us conscious of world crisis, as well personal issues (Chemical Weapons in Syria, Government Shut Down, Oil Prices Rising, Paper Due in 3 Hours, School Loans, Job Lost, Best Friend Dies). Every day has its own problems, and everywhere we see conflict that affects our daily walk. Here's what is interesting: when we dream of "someday", we quickly forget that someday will have struggles of it's own. "The someday house does not have a mortgage payment on it, the someday job is stable, the someday world is at peace"... Truth is, the someday will always seem more appealing that life today. This is because in our minds we want to believe we will have it all together. We often accept the lie that life will not be stressful and won't be falling apart.
Reality “It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.” ― A.W. Tozer
Just looking back and ahead in the overarching story of what my life has become, someday never turns out like you expected. Growing up I never thought Travis (my brother) at age 13 would have Thyroid cancer. The end of my Junior year of high school, the first day of summer, did not turn out like I anticipated. Finding out my dad cheated on my mother and leading to my parents divorce, (now that part of my life is better and God is working) My someday dorm room never had a scenario where my laptop would be stolen. I did not foresee my car dieing over Christmas break this year. The struggle with lustful passions all throughout high school, always thinking I should be stronger than what I really am. Being benched my entire Junior year of football after putting my all in every practice and workout was not on my agenda. But I did not imagine how close I would be to God in the hard times of my somedays. That peace has consumed me. The turn of the tables is that I did not anticipate how good God would be to me. I could not have imagined the blessings I have seen in the Somedays of life, a family friend replaces my laptop for me, my car dies and someone decides to give my family their old car. My parents are divorced but my father is making steps to find God and that relationship is ten times better than I thought it would ever be. I am currently playing college football at Eureka College and swimming as well, and through sport I am a living testimony to my teammates. I did not think so much goodness could happen to me out of tragedy. I was not blessed because I am such a swell guy, no I am blessed so that I can give God all the credit and tell others about all He has done in my life and how much my relationship to Him means to me. I am blessed because God is good not because I am good by any means. I am glad I was put through various trials in my life because it has refined me into something greater, that I have become a more usable tool for God to use. It is my trust In Christ and His perfection that I can have the strength to face the Somedays of life.
1 Peter 5:7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Someday the Messiah will come
The Jews were waiting for someday for the Messiah to come and save them, and when Jesus did come they were so focused on Someday that they did not see Jesus when He was here.
Luke 4:16-30
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph's son?” 23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself.’ What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.” 24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers[a] in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, he went away.
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph's son?” 23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself.’ What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.” 24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers[a] in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, he went away.
Scripture was written in the Old Testament telling of the coming King from the line of David, and when Jesus started his public ministry the people denied him because Jesus did not fit in the the Someday scenario that the Jews had planned for Messiah to be. God already knows all the days of your life, none of the events of your story are surprising to Him or catch Him off guard. Do not be so bent on your will for "someday" that when God leads you in another direction you say to God my will be done. I have noticed the more plans I put up in my life the more God is app to tear them down.
Dealing with God's will
Let me lay it out God is for God, that means the will of God is for God. It is not about your passions to succeed at business, sports, school, that girl friend or boy friend. The will of God is not mystical but it is found in the Bible. Man can not go off of gut feelings and emotions and then connect these feelings to be God's will. The Bible will not have a mapped out step by step plan of your life, but on how to live your life is a different story entirely. God cares about transforming you into the image of Jesus Christ His beloved son. God cares how you treat people and love them. Above all God's will is that He wants you to devote your life to be a living sacrifice. Not what job to take, where to live, the important thing is are you pursuing God in everyday life. Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. If that is what you are doing it does not matter what you are doing as long as you are living a Godly life and being transformed in Christ's image. realize there will be no point when you say I have arrived, I am exactly who God wants me to be, the only time that will be said is when you go to heaven. How does this tie into "Someday" well if start seeing God as in complete control and see each day as a day to chase after God more and more, and that hard times are actually a blessing for us because we can find peace in knowing and experiencing God through it all. Live life with God for it is the only way to truly live. John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
When the Someday's of life happen have faith, John 16: 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Jesus has already won the war, and every battle of our lives, Chaos may arise in our lives but we have peace. Many times we praise God once we have made it through the valley of the shadow of death, because afterward we see his Glory and power and praise. We need to start praising during our walk through the valley of the shadow of death, because He is on the throne over all, all the time. Death has died and Jesus Christ has won. What the world plans for evil God uses for good, the best reversal of all time is when God crushed His one and only Son, causing us who are called to be saved. God killed Jesus, and Jesus sacrificed Himself for all who believe, in one fell swoop with the resurrection of Christ Jesus it annihilated Death. By the death of Jesus death also died with Him, but Jesus rose from the grave so now all who repent and trust Jesus for there source of purpose and livelihood now will never truly die, but have life forever.
“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done."- C.S Lewis
Author-Taylor Huber
Editor- Dan Murphy
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