The God of the Future: Moving Beyond the Past
I wonder if sometimes we continue to worship the God of the past and don’t recognize the God of the future. Because God exists in the future—he was in our yesterday, but he’s also in tomorrow. It makes sense that God focuses on tomorrow and the future, because hope exists not in the past but only in the future.
Why God Calls Us to the Future
God is calling us, you and me; regardless of what happened to us, he’s calling us to the future. He knows that our dreams and aspirations and all the beautiful things exist in the future. If we are consumed with the things of yesterday, we cannot tap into the possibility of tomorrow.
Maybe tomorrow is scary to you. Maybe because of what happened, you know for a fact that you could no longer be the person you were before. Your status has changed because now you are divorced. A loved one has died and now you are alone. You never thought you would be disabled, but even saying it now, knowing that you are, is so hard. And the thought of facing tomorrow with a permanent disability is terrifying. If tomorrow means that you have to trust again, love again, risk again, hope again, you don’t want to face tomorrow.
Romans 8: Understanding God’s Love in Our Pain
In the book of Romans, Paul talks about pain, suffering, and God’s love, and the connection between them. His writings in chapter 8 reveal that love is always questioned when pain and suffering are introduced in life. We question the love of the people in our lives when we are going through pain, grief, loss, or confusion. We question people’s love when we go through relational conflict, difficulty at work, a chronic medical condition. We wonder, Will she understand? Does he still like me? Are they still interested in me? When we face failure and disappointment, we question people’s commitment to us.
How God’s Love Overcomes Fear of Tomorrow
We fear that if we continue to be unsuccessful and continue to struggle, people will leave us. We question the love of everyone. We also question God’s love when we go through tragedy and suffering. That is why Paul writes in Romans 8:38 (NLT): “I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” He wants to remind us, regardless of what we might feel, of the truth that God has never left us.
So if you and I find ourselves in a place in which we have convinced ourselves that no one really cares, no one really notices, and no one really understands or loves us, then we are wrong. Our feelings are real and important, but they are not necessarily true. What is right and true? God’s love and commitment toward us.
Overcoming Tomorrow’s Fear with King David’s Peace
Yes, tomorrow can be scary. I think that is why King David (the one who was chosen, anointed, favored, and beloved by God, that guy), one of the most powerful men in history, struggled with fear and anxiety of tomorrow. The book of Psalms contains his confessions of weakness, doubt, and uncertainty. In Psalm 27, he unveils his practice of peace and power to face tomorrows:
“The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).
Taken from Tomorrow Needs You by Naeem Fazal. ©2025 by Naeem Fazal. Used by permission of InterVarsity Press. www.ivpress.com.
