Confidence for Your Future
We just concluded an amazing conference with our Gateway Women! If there is one thing that I’m sure of—God is not done with you. I want to speak life into you, whatever you are facing, no matter what you feel today, because God has already secured your future.
Many of us start out with a picture about how we think life will be. We might believe we will have a specific job, marry a certain person, we may even have our children’s names picked out. But, as we all know, life happens.
Sometimes the joy we carry about what is to come can be extinguished by the pain that meets us along the way. A bad health diagnosis might change our outlook of the future. The loss of a dream, a person or a relationship can cause us to think we are not capable of better days. How can we be confident about a good future when our present feels so dark—have you ever felt that way?
I want to challenge that way of thinking. You might believe that you are living a life that is “second” best—setbacks, loss or mistakes have stopped you from reaching the best God has for you.
But that is not what God says. In Psalm 16 we find that 4 promises that we can trust about our future:
“Your pleasant path leads me to pleasant places… you have given me the best! The way you counsel and correct me makes me praise you more, for your whispers in the night give me wisdom, showing me what to do next. Because you are close to me and always available, my confidence will never be shaken, for I experience your wrap-around presence every moment. My heart and soul explode with joy-full of glory! Even my body will rest confident and secure.”
The first promise is that God is bringing you into “pleasant places”. I want to speak this into you right now, whatever you are facing, this is not the end! A loss, a setback, a closed door, a failure—nothing can change His GOOD plans for you. God is faithful and He can work around any challenge in your life.
The second promise is God will “show you what to do next”. He is not going to leave you confused and alone. His plans are to guide you and give you good counsel. Seek Him, ask Him what to do next, and then wait on the Lord. He will reveal the steps to take!
The third promise is that He will aways be “close and available” to you. Even when you distance yourself from God, He is waiting for you. Invite Him in, allow His presence to fill you up. He can lift sorrow, fill the dry places and restore your joy. God is ready to pour out His great love for you as share your heart with Him.
The last promise is that you will be “joyful and secure”. God has promised that you can be confident in His ability to take care of you. He is able to heal you, restore you and bring you into the beautiful future He has planned.
Your best days are ahead! Joy, laughter, fulfillment, open doors—it’s there for you. Are you willing to dream again? Are you willing to take that step towards Him? Your purpose is worth it. Now is the time to draw close. God is going to redeem your situation and bring you out. Your greatest pain will become your strength as you testify about all He has done!
By Pastor Cari Stewart