EYE EXAM: FORESIGHT – PART 3
Not only do we need to have good hindsight of the past and good insight for the present, but we also need good foresight to see God’s magnificent future for those who believe in and follow Him.
Paul writes, “You don’t have to see something before it’s there. If you see it, you don’t have any hope; but faith and hope can see things that are not actually there.” (Romans 8:24-25) God loves to find people who allow Him to give them foresight based on faith and hope.
A friend once told me “Unless you see it before you see it, you will never see it.” Successful organizations and churches have leaders who can see what others can’t see. The prophet Joel said, “Your old men will dream dreams and your young men will see visions.” (Joel 2:28)
Early in my ministry at Frazer, we developed a Joel action group. If you look at the twelve building projects at Frazer and the huge impact ministries like televised worship services throughout the U.S. and a local television station owned by the church, each of them was envisioned by the Joel action group three to five years before they became reality. I was inspired by lay people who developed foresight by looking at the future through God’s glasses.
Where will you be in five years? Where will your business be? Where will your church be? Where will your family be? What do you see in the future? One great man said, “Most folks see things the way they are and ask, ‘why?’ But then God raises up somebody who sees things as they could be and asks, ‘why not?’”
The last book in the Bible is about foresight and vision. John was exiled to the Isle of Patmos. God opened his eyes to see what could be. It is called the Revelation–the Revealing–the seeing of what the future can be for every person.
John describes it this way, “I, John, have seen the holy city, the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He shall be with them, and they will be His people. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death and mourning shall be no more…” (Revelation 21:1-4)
Eternity with God exceeds anything we can imagine! God can take our present foresight and magnify it exponentially.
In the 14th century, Marco Polo was a Venetian traveler. After visiting Cathay, he came back and told the people about his travels and what he had seen. He talked about marvelous cities and sights he had visited. They thought he was lying to them. They had no concept that it could be that nice.
When Marco Polo was dying at age 70, they asked him to confess his sins of lying about what he had seen since he was about to face God. His last answer was, “I never told the half of it!”
God’s future for those who believe in and follow Him is so great that not even half of it has ever been told! Can you see it?
How is your foresight?
