Future Days

Future Days

‘Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God.…’

John 21:18 & 19a

Not everything that glorifies God is pleasant for us to experience.  During the course of the conversation when Christ restores Peter, He raises the subject of Peter’s future.  Christ is very clear about what Peter’s future holds.  John adds this explanation as to why Christ said what He did.  ‘This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God.’ Regardless of how much this would ‘glorify God’ it was not going to be a pleasant experience for Peter.  That does not make it any less the will of God, nor does it change how the circumstances would come to be.  We want to come to terms with this for our own benefit.  The text before us shows us that Christ gave Peter insights about his future days.  He may not necessarily give us those same insights.  What is important for us to understand is that Christ has a future for us which will glorify God.  He is fully aware of what that future is, and exactly how it will glorify Him.  It may, as a personal experience, not be particularly pleasant for us,  but that is not really necessary.  Christ reserves our most pleasant experiences for our eternal future with Him.  These are the days of hardness and endurance for us.  They will soon be over.  We may glorify God by the hard things now, and He will get the glory, but beyond the hard things, there lies the future of God’s Eternal Day, when we shall ‘ever be with the Lord.’

Our Wise and Sovereign God,
we praise You that You know all our future days with all that they entail.
We rejoice that though they may not be pleasant for us,
yet, they are part of Your plan and will end in Glory.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning