Hearing His Voice #11

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will . . . tell you about the future.

John 16:13

Everyone wants to know their future—or at least the positive parts of it. That’s why many people read horoscopes and call psychic hotlines. It’s also why many of us who shun these counterfeits will ask God for guidance and insight into His plans for us. Not only do we need to make decisions that are contingent on future events, we want to be reassured that our hopes are not in vain. When the Spirit speaks to us, He gives us such assurance. His voice is not one to fear or dread, even on those occasions when He must discipline us. His plans for His children are always ultimately good.

Jesus was clear that the Spirit would tell us about the future. That doesn’t mean He tells us everything about the future, but He does give us glimpses of His plan. He gives us information we need for today’s decisions, promises we need for tomorrow’s fulfillments, and big-picture purposes we need in order to join Him in His work. He showed John a lot about the future in Revelation and gave Paul some glimpses of it regarding the Second Coming. He also gave His followers specific directions and warnings, as when He called Paul as a suffering apostle to Gentiles or warned him through Agabus about the coming imprisonment in Jerusalem. But it was never a complete picture—Paul writes in Philippians that he didn’t know whether he would live or die. Still, there are times when God forewarns us or gives us inside information that we need to know. He sees the future, and it isn’t entirely a secret.

Mostly, the Spirit instills hope. He sometimes gives us specific, personal details about what’s ahead, but sometimes He simply fills us with expectation of God’s goodness—that “future and a hope” from Jeremiah 29:11. Either way, He is leading us onward and upward in His Kingdom.

Holy Spirit, tell me things about the future. Lead me in the ways I need to go. Give me pictures of my purpose and Your plans. Open up Your secrets for me to treasure.