Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of
the Lord that will stand.
- Proverbs 19:21
As
we’ve ushered in both a new year and a new decade this week, I’ve seen a lot of
articles, videos, and discussions in the media about what the last ten years
were like. With the benefit of hindsight, it’s not difficult to define a decade
in just a few words—the 1960s, for example, can be boiled down to the words
“seismic social changes,” the 1980s to “optimism and success”, and our newly departed
decade to “dissatisfaction with business as usual.”
What’s
more difficult than looking back is forecasting the decade to come. What new social
changes will the 2020s bring? What technological achievements are coming? Will
the next decade be remembered as a time of renewal or decline?
It’s
impossible to answer these questions today, a mere three days into the new
decade. No one can possibly know the future this far in advance, much less
control it. But of course, it doesn’t stop us from trying. With every tool at
our disposal, we find ourselves strategizing and planning for how best to
prosper ourselves and those who care about.
Such
planning can be valuable, but Scripture reminds us to do so with humility. No
one knows what is coming except God, and no one controls tomorrow but Him. Our
efforts to control the world around us are just that, efforts; none of our
plans are set in stone.
So
as you make your New Year’s resolutions and ten-year plans, as you forecast
what your life will look like in 2030, do so with the knowledge of who holds
the world in His hands—while you are worrying about the future, God invites you
to trust Him with it instead.
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