“And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it. For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.”
Mark 9:30–32
God sees the future and knows how every life situation you face fits into His perfect will.
London is home to many museums, but only one British museum can claim to be the home of one of the world’s oldest surviving maritime charts, dating back to 1525. In a great day of exploration, many cartographers hired sailing crews to take them “to the ends of the earth” so they might chart the mighty oceans. But not everyone was excited to pioneer the great unknown. Many believed monsters and tidal waves inhabited the mysterious waters; others believed the world dropped off at the end of the ocean. Believing these tall tales, the cartographer of the specific map on display in England signified the end of the ocean with phrases such as; “Here be giants,” “Here be fiery scorpions,” and “Here be dragons.” While many believed his diagnosis of the seas, one man did not. Sir John Franklin, a British explorer in the 1800s, got his hands on the map, and seeing the cartographer’s summary, called for an instrument of writing, and scratching out the fearful phrases, wrote atop the map, “Here is God.”
Many people fear the unknown. The future is a mystery; the road becomes hazy ahead, and no one knows what is to come. Many people write fearful phrases on their life map and live in fear, yet God desires that we would write atop our map “Here is God” and live in confident joy.
The disciples give us a perfect example in Mark 9 of our limited view of the future. When the disciples and Christ entered Galilee, God knew many of the Galileans wanted to kill Him. Seeking to avoid such an incident before His time was come, He commanded His disciples not to gather a crowd or spread word that He was in town. Puzzled by their Master’s words, they kept to themselves. They couldn’t understand His command because they didn’t know the future.
Imagine being a disciple. Christ had just cast a devil out of a young boy. He had witnessed to many in the former town, and as you approached a new town, you wanted to tell everyone in the town to come see the One who could heal them. Yet Christ didn’t want you to tell anyone He was in town. Also, He was talking about dying then coming back to life three days later. What did it all mean?
Sometimes God gives us commands without giving us reasons. While our human nature wants a reason before we obey, God tells us to simply trust Him. Have you ever told your child to do something, and they answered with, “Why?” Many parents run into this problem when setting rules for their children. As parents we realize our rules will help prevent our children from harm, yet our children cannot see what we can see.
Similarly, God gives commands knowing the future and asks that you obey Him out of faith. You may never know why God did or didn’t do something in your life, commanded your obedience in a certain situation, or chose to respond to your prayer a certain way; yet He knows why. He sees the end.
Exhibiting faith means trusting that God knows what’s best in every situation. If He asks for your obedience in a situation you don’t understand, simply obey Him. If He works in a different way than you would’ve liked, accept His working. Remember, God sees the future, and knows how every life situation you face fits into His perfect will.