Hindsight Becomes Our Foresight

I had the privilege of having a God moment a couple of years ago and was reminded of it again this morning. When I worked for Telkom, we would always at the beginning of the year, have a ‘rear-view’ meeting. The intention of the meeting was to evaluate what had happened the past year as we were moving forward into the new year. Kind of like driving a car and looking in the rear-view mirror; you’re still moving forward, but observing what has passed.

I remember having the privilege of preaching to a whole bunch of students at a Sunday service and whilst I can’t remember what the message was about, I do remember saying something that was not in my notes – the God moment. I was talking about the future and how the older generation invests in the younger generation and how the younger generation must look to the older generation for advice, support, council and mentorship. I remember confessing that the older generation to which they would look, did not always get things right but that they (the younger generation) then had the opportunity to learn from our mistakes.

And that’s when the God moment struck. I said to them that our hindsight becomes their foresight. As we as the older generation look back and take stock of the past, what has been tried and tested, what has worked or not worked, they – the younger generation – can take and use to make wiser choices for the future and not make the same mistakes. Our hindsight has become their foresight.

The Bible is full of such examples. Take Joseph (Genesis 39) and David (2 Samuel 11) for instance, and how each of them handled their lust temptations. There is much to learn in the correct response (Joseph). But there is also much to learn in repentance (David – 2 Samuel 12:13 & Psalm 51). In hindsight we can look at how they each responded and what the results were. In foresight we can know how we should be responding.

And so it is with every situation in life. There is nothing that God cannot use for His glory. Both testaments confirm this (see Genesis 50:20 & Romans 8:28). EVERYTHING that happens in your life, good or bad, can be used by God. Everything in hindsight can become your foresight (or even someone else’s). You just got to let God in, be open to His prompting, and then be obedient to His plan.

Is there something that has happened in your life that God is wanting to use? What hindsights do you have that have become your foresights? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

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Scripture References:

Genesis 50:20 (NIV) You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

Romans 8:28 (NIV) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

2 Samuel 12:13 (NIV) Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.

Anyone lost a finger lately?

I was driving past a low cost housing project and saw a number of large stones/rocks along the side of the road. I couldn’t make out where they might have come from, and so my mind wandered off to our country’s turbulent past where stone throwing at others was commonplace. It also reminded me that stone throwing was a thing that God commanded in the Old Testament to rid the community of sin. Seems quite brutal doesn’t it!

Then along came Jesus and He said that if your hand causes you to sin, chop it off; if your eye causes you to sin, then pluck it out. I look at this and I think, oh my hat, this is hectic. Quite shockingly though, this is quite prevalent in some countries of the world today. If you get caught stealing something small, they chop off a finger. If it is something big, then off comes the hand. On the whole, the community benefits because there is reduced crime.