Happy New Year!

Another year has come and gone as the old saying goes. What will 2009 hold for me? I do not have any freaking idea, but I do know I will do my best to make the most of what comes my way.

Why are we afraid of the future?  One reason is we don't know what it's going to bring.  It's an unknown.  Even our best forecasts are educated guesses.  Nobody really knows what's going to happen in the future.  Mankind can transplant livers, program computers, send men to the moon, you may have an incredible IQ, you may have a PhD, LSD, everything but you don't know what's going to happen in the future.  I don't care how smart you are it's just an educated guess.  On top of that it's uncontrollable. We try to control the future through our worry and fears but it doesn't work. 

There are a lot of things that are going to change in your future.  But one thing that is never going to change is you're going to have the same old temptations.  Same problems.  Same weaknesses.  You're going to have these, probably, the rest of your life because satan knows your hot buttons and so he knows your areas of weaknesses and he's going to keep pushing that button the rest of your life.  That means if you have a predisposition to loose your temper then probably for the rest of your life you're going to deal and struggle with anger.  Or if you have a tendency or predisposition to get depressed you will probably struggle with that predisposition the rest of your life. That doesn't mean you have to give in to it.  It just means it's going to be a struggle. 

The problem with that is some of you are afraid of the future because you're afraid of a relapse.  You've gotten victory over a habit or over a questionable lifestyle or over a problem or addition, hurt.  You've gotten victory over it but you're thinking, "What if I stumble again?  What if I fall flat on my face?  What if I go back into that habit?"  Satan has got you intimidated and panicked.  "What if I crack up again?  What if I have another breakdown?"  He gets you worried about the future, looking at the past.  God says, Don't worry about it.  I'm faithful and I will assist you when you're tempted.

I Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation is irresistible anytime somebody comes to you and say, "I just couldn't help myself!" they are lying.  God says no situation is irresistible You can trust God to keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it.  For He has promised this that's His faithfulness and He will do what He says.  He will show you how to escape."  You don't have to walk with a fear of a relapse if you're walking with the Lord in your life.  God knows exactly the struggle you're going through and He is pulling for you and He's preparing an escape route.