I attended a small Christian school for the majority of my elementary school years. Built into our school day was a Bible class. It wasn’t until I became an adult that I truly recognized what a privilege that was. Ms. Busey was the teacher’s name and she was very smart and very wise and very patient with us. As an elementary student, I thought of her as old and grandmotherly, but you know how things are from the perspective of a child.
One of the main teachings Ms. Busey drilled into us year after year is the attributes of God. God is omniscient meaning He knows everything. He is omnipotent meaning He is all powerful, and He is omnipresent meaning He is everywhere all at once.
These are not easy concepts even as an adult to wrap our heads around. Also, I think sometimes in order for us to find God more relatable we shrink God down to a size we can understand. However, He shouldn’t be easy to understand. He is God. He knows everything, He is all-powerful, and He is everywhere all at once. Last I checked, I did not possess any of those attributes.
God lives outside of time. The Bible says in Ephesians 1:4 (TPT) “ And in love, he chose us before he laid the foundation of the universe.” I challenge you to sit and ponder that for a minute. It is a mind-bender. Before God created one drop in the ocean, one grain of sand, and one leaf on a tree, He was thinking of us. He was thinking of our lives, when we would be born, and what circumstances we would live in. It truly is beyond our scope.
One of my favorite speakers, Graham Cooke, often talks about how God speaks to our future selves. I think often we are so focused on our now, the circumstances facing us, and the problems in our way that we have a hard time looking past all that to our future selves. We have a difficult time seeing the person of tomorrow.
The Bible says you were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). You were created with specific giftings, talents, and passions that reflect a part of God. You are probably not living in the fullness of that image right now. Most of us aren’t. But we are all on a journey to become that person. Some of us will get very far in that journey before entering heaven, and some of us may not, depending on our life choices. But the hope is that you stay on that journey to that person of tomorrow God created.
When God speaks to you, He is speaking to the person He created in His image. He is speaking to the person He knows you are supposed to be. He is speaking to you from tomorrow. Why does he do that? Well, look at children. We don’t tell children, one day you might learn to walk, but you are doing fine scooting so just stay like that as long as you want. If you are twelve and still scooting, no problem. We will make accommodations for you.
No! Many would consider that child abuse. We stand a child up and help them practice standing while holding them. Then we encourage them to take steps on their own, and when they do, we celebrate. When they fall, we pick them back up, dust them off, and encourage them to try again. Why? Because we know they are destined to walk and then run. We see their future self, and we are encouraging them to go there.
Why would God not do the same thing? He sees our future self. The person we are destined and created to be, and He loves us far too much to be okay with us staying where we are. He wants us to become the full person He created.
If we look at the story of Moses in the Old Testament, Moses encounters God through a burning bush. Moses is in the desert because he is hiding. At one point, he believed he was destined for great things, but he tried to step into his calling too early and without God. He became intimidated and fled to the desert.
Beginning in Exodus 3, the Lord is speaking to future Moses. The Lord says to Moses, I have great news! I am ready to deliver my people from Egypt, and I am going to use you to do it! However, Moses did not feel he was the right person for the job. He had lost all his confidence and could not see his future self.
The conversation Moses has with the Lord is very telling in how Moses sees himself. The Lord reassures Moses he will not have to go by himself, but Moses is still not sure he is the right person. The Lord performs signs and wonders in front of Moses reassuring Moses of His power. Moses still pushes back. Then the Lord tells Moses he can take Aaron with him, which Moses agrees to.
The Lord sees Moses as the person destined to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. He is speaking to Moses’ future self urging Moses forward in his journey toward his destiny. We also see a very interesting scripture in Exodus 3:6(NKJV) “…And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.”
Many chapters later, in Exodus 33, Moses is having another conversation with the Lord. This conversation takes place after the children of Israel have been led out of Egypt and into the wilderness. The Lord is taking care of the Israelites as well as instructing them through Moses. Moses is telling the Lord that he doesn’t want to go anywhere or do anything without the Lord’s presence. Moses now understands how incredibly valuable the Lord’s presence is.
As they are having this conversation, Moses is bold enough to ask God to see his glory. Exodus 33:18(NKJV) “And he said, ‘Please, show me your glory.’” God responds in vs 20 – 23. “But He said, ‘You cannot see My face, for no man shall see Me, and live.’ And the Lord said, ‘Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.’”
What a beautiful picture of the relationship that Moses has developed with God. When God first encounters Moses, Moses is full of fear and hiding his face. After many encounters with the Lord and learning to trust Him, Moses desperately wants more of God. And God honors His request. Moses is learning to be his future self, the person God created him to be.
Another such example is the story of Gideon. We find his story beginning in Judges 6. Gideon is hiding in a wine press trying to thresh wheat. This would not work very well, but Gideon probably feels he was safer from the Midianites in the wine press. The Lord appears to Him and says vs 12 (NKJV) “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
Gideon is definitely not acting like a mighty man of valor at that time. God is speaking to Gideon from his tomorrow. God tells Gideon about how he is the one God has chosen to deliver Israel from the Midianites. Gideon does not see himself this way as he argues with God about how he is the least qualified to accomplish this. He even asks God to perform signs and wonders to make sure he is hearing correctly. Eventually, Gideon learns to listen to the Lord and indeed does become a mighty man of valor.
Have you allowed the Lord to speak to you from tomorrow? Is there something you feel He is asking you to do that seems too big or that you are not qualified for? Here is the thing about God. God longs to partner with His children. He could accomplish all things on His own, but He chooses to partner with us. There is something in His heart that wants to bring us in on His plans and ask us to participate. We just have to say yes.
Remember, friend, God is always for you, never against you. I encourage you to allow God to speak to your future self. Join Him on the journey He wants you to take to become all He created you to be. Don’t settle for what you can accomplish on your own. Go with Him toward your future self.
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I say “Yes, Lord!” 😊
Amen! 🙂