Looking Ahead
Today’s Verse
A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished. ~Proverbs 22:3
Foresight is the ability to plan and look ahead. It is taking known facts, experiences garnered, and wise counsel in making good preparations. Solomon said that a person who uses foresight is prudent and wise. Let us see, this morning, how foresight is proactive, preventive, prudent, and a priority.
We must have foresight for our stress.
Stress is the pressure and anxiety we feel when unplanned problems or setbacks come into our life. Stress affects every area of our life. Even though we cannot anticipate when unplanned problems come, we can be proactive in how we deal with it. First, plan to commit every problem and setback to God in prayer immediately. Most Christians have a wait-and-see attitude when we are invited to come to the throne of grace to find mercy and help in time of need. Second, give thanks and rejoice when stress enters your life. James said that we should “count it all joy when [we] fall into divers temptations.” Our proactive strategy is to pray, trust, and be thankful.
We must have foresight for our circles.
Before you join a fellowship, engage the company of someone new, or decide on a long-term relationship, it is very important that you examine the people involved and come to a decision if this relationship is good or bad for you. Who we associate with determines what we become. Dr. John R. Rice said, “People go wrong in their fellowships before they go wrong in their doctrine.” Everyone is going somewhere in their philosophy, practices, and product. You need to look far enough ahead to determine if that is where you want to end up. I’ve known men I thought believed the same as me, only to watch them go in a direction I could not biblically agree with.
We must have foresight when we are seniors.
It is prudent to have goals for when you approach retirement age. Some of these goals include financial, volunteer work, health, travel, new hobbies, and daily activities. Planning ahead gives you something to look forward to. Planning ahead gives you structure for your day. It helps you set a realistic budget. It helps you make sure you have an adequate income in your older age. It helps you make critical decisions for your last will and testament and how your survivors will be cared for. It helps you foresee the evil and hide yourself.
We must have foresight for our steps.
Foresight is when we think ahead about our travel plans, work projects, family needs, and special events. It is important to have timelines, contingency plans, and margins built in for unexpected delays. We should plan a spiritual calendar that includes our Bible-reading schedule, prayer goals, witnessing, church volunteer work, and spiritual accomplishments that will glorify the Lord. Prudent planning does not jump into something blindly and let the chips fall wherever they may. It is thinking far enough ahead for the steps we need in order to arrive where we want to be.
Foresight enables us to conceal ourselves from evil. In other words, foresight serves as a shield from potential losses we can incur because we didn’t take the time to plan. Look ahead and be wise.
Have a wise God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Numbers 8-10