Facing the future with confidence

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever (Psalm 23).

Nearly everyone worries about making it in today’s economy. We worry about our expenses. How much will the price of food go up because of fire, late spring frost, or flooding? How deeply will we have to dig into our pockets to pay for fuel to heat our homes and run our vehicles? How can we afford medical treatment in the face of rising health care costs? The way that tuition keeps going up, how can we afford to send our kids to college? How many more opt-outs will the school board ask for? How much will the government want to raise our taxes?

We also worry about our income. You might have a good job now, but businesses go bankrupt all the time. And even if your business is doing well, what if they reorganize and you end up in a lower-paying position? What if they implement cost-saving measures and cut your benefit package? Retirees are not exempt from worrying about the future either. What if Social Security or Welfare benefits don’t keep up with inflation or are cut? You might have investments, but what happens if the stock market takes another downturn? What if the economy turns sour and the value of your property depreciates? I suspect that even Donald Trump knows—perhaps better than the rest of us—how quickly wealth can disappear. In this world, no one ever feels secure for very long.

What a comfort it is to be adopted by God as one of His children. He promises that we have a home with Him forever in His kingdom, a place where He will see to our every need! In His home, we won’t have to sweat just to get our basic needs met; we will be like contented sheep who don’t have to find food or shelter because our Shepherd will provide them for us. We won’t have to worry about our long-term security, because our Savior will provide eternal security for us. Since we have this promise of security, we can face life with confidence. In spite of job outsourcing and bosses saying 'you’re fired' and the threat of Social Security going belly-up, we know that a far better life without stress or worry is awaiting us.