It is almost unbelievable what happens every four years at the Winter Olympics. In the Paralympics you have blind people who will compete in the skiing events. Now in the Lord's grace, I can see pretty well, but even with both eyes, I would not fancy going down a steep ski slope with all kinds of obstacles in the way. And yet, how do these people do it?
Well, here's the beautiful part. They have a friend, a guide, who skis next to them with a radio and gives them voice cues by saying things like watch out for that turn left, turn right. There's a slope coming, there's a flag right next to you. And because there is a person who can see, the blind athlete is able to reach the bottom safely. In other words, they trust another person's eyes. And my dear friend God is just like that.
He is our eyes. He alone can see into the future and we as Christians are called to trust him when we cannot see. I believe there are two key ways in which many Christians fail to trust God. For some believers, they struggle to trust God with their past, whilst others they struggle to trust Him with the future. So which one are you? Because I'm going to deal with
both of them right now. I often hear people say, if only I could turn back the clock, if only I knew what I know now, I would do things very differently. In 2006, Adam Sandler starred in a film called Click. And if you've never seen the movie before, it's basically about a man who has an extraordinary TV remote. This remote, just like on TV, you can pause it. Well, he can pause real life. He can also Fast forward boring meetings and above all he is able to rewind the time.
And many people I think would love a remote like Adam Sandler had many people long for a time machine so they can go back and change things, but sadly no such thing ever exists. Can I ask you a personal question?
What is your biggest regret? Perhaps you regret the career that you're in. Maybe you've trained for seven years to try and get a certain job, and now you finally, after investing so much time, so much energy, so much money into finally getting this career, you're in it and you absolutely hate it, and you wish that you followed your dream instead. Perhaps you're like a woman who I met earlier this year.
She said to me, oh, how I long, how I wish I did not marry my husband because I'm on fire for the Lord and he does not care about the things of God. Have I made a massive mistake in marrying him? Perhaps you're single right now and you remember there was an opportunity to meet that girl, to marry her, but you did not take the window of opportunity and you regret it every single day. Or maybe maybe you regret that you once had a close friend but
it was A1 sided friendship. That person just kept always calling you and trying to keep the friendship alive, but you didn't put the same energy into it and eventually that person gave up. And now as the years have gone by and you've drifted apart, you've realised I will never find a better friend like that. Friend, whatever the regret is,
can I say this to you right now? There are no mistakes with God, although you might blame yourself, although you might wish that you could change it. The Lord God who is on the throne, who is sovereign over all things He has allowed it. The Bible says that all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose. In other words, you cannot make a mistake because God has ordained certain things to happen in your life.
Now I do believe that some Christians take this way too far, this idea of let go and let God and they see God as as like a chess player and we are just the chess pieces and we just have to go along with what the Lord does. And although God is totally in control, I also believe that God has given us free will. And perhaps that doesn't make sense in your mind. And if I'm honest, it can
confuse me at times. But we know that these things are mysteries, that God has given us choices, responsibility, and yet at the same time, He is the one who directs our paths. He's the one who orders all of our steps. The Bible takes it even further. It says the lot is cast into the lap, but it's every decision is from the Lord. Did you catch that? So you and me might play a board game together, and I roll a dice
and it lands on a six. But the Lord, before I even rolled it, has known, has made the decision that it would land on a six again. I say this. It is a total mystery because Jesus, of course, says, oh, Jerusalem, oh, Jerusalem, how I would have gathered you as a hen gathered its chicks, and yet you were not willing. So in other words, we have a free will. We have choices to make, but at the same time God is sovereign
and in control of all things. But the real reason this applies to you and me is because perhaps right now, last night you laid awake all night and you were thinking, this has happened, that has happened. I have made a mess of my life, and I just want to tell you, you haven't made a mess because the Lord God has always been steering the car of your life and he has allowed these things to happen because my Father in
Heaven knows best. He knows what's best for me, even though I might not think it's best for me at the time. But he puts it in my life because as the scripture says, his ways are higher than our ways. Do not be surprised if you do not understand the ways of the Lord, the prophet Isaiah said, Let me let you into a secret. The reason I'm filming this video is because last week I received a comment from one of my subscribers and he said, Joe, I feel a bit sad. I feel a bit concerned about
myself. You see many Christians around me, they're so excited that we could be in the end times. They're so excited that the return of Christ could be at any moment, and yet I find myself scared. I find myself struggling to trust God with the future. Well, I am so glad that that man sent me that comment, because I believe there are many Christians who also find themselves in a similar position. I don't know what your view is of the end times, but I do know
this. The Bible says that things are going to wax worse before the Lord Jesus Christ comes, and we have seen things speeding up, heating up very, very fast. There is right now, as we speak, so much unrest in the world that you kind of think, what has happened here? Why are so many people struggling to get along? The only thing that people seem to be unified about these days
is a particular sin. I'm seeing right now, Christians in the West who we've known safety for many years, and now things are looking pretty, pretty scary. Some Christians are having to stand up again. It's the crowd and have to make a stand for the things of the Bible on things which are right. And we can see that this is only progressing worse and worse. And then on top of all those things we can see that iniquity is abounding.
Lovers of self are abounding. People only care about themselves and the evil that has happened in just five years. The amount of sins which are being pushed down into the public in front of our children at such a fast rate, many of us are looking and thinking we can't have long left. And couple that with the thoughts of I'm suffering right now. I'm in so much pain that I can't even walk up the stairs. I can't even drive to the shop. I don't have any money in my pocket.
I don't know how I'm going to pay next month for all of my bills. How am I going to feed my family when I'm in my overdraft again. And all of these concerns as they start to mount up, as they start to compound, how do we trust God with the future? Well, I know you want me to give you a five step program, but I'm afraid the answer is far more elementary than that. Do you know what the answer is? You need to look into the face of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Bible says you will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yah the Lord is everlasting strength. About 10 years ago, a dear friend of ours received the worst possible news you could ever receive. And to give you a little clue, she's no longer with us today. And when she revealed the news to us in a prayer meeting, someone sort of asked or that it somehow came out. How is it that you're going to
trust the Lord with tomorrow? And she quoted this verse. You will keep him in perfect peace. Whose mind is stayed on you? Because he trusts in me. He trusts in the rock of his salvation. She trusts in her saviour. And the sad thing is, the devil very often will get us to distract us, try and take our mind off anything but focusing on the Lord God.
You remember Peter, don't you? When Peter was able to walk on water, and I believe in that moment the devil was telling him, Look at the wind, look at the waves, look at the depth of the water. Look away from Jesus Christ, Peter. And when he listened to that, when he looked away, what happened? He started to sink. The moment he took his focus off the Lord Jesus Christ is the moment he was in trouble. And my dear friend, I do not know what tomorrow holds for
you. I don't know what tomorrow holds for me, but I do know if I gaze in the face of my Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, no matter how bad it will be, I can get through tomorrow. Because Christ lives, and I know that my Redeemer lives. And yes, it still might be very tough. But I tell you, be one thing. It'll be even tougher if you walk that road without the Lord Jesus Christ. But here is the big question Now We all know that we can trust in God.
But can God trust you? Let me put it another way to you. Please. Imagine that you are my friend and you are my friend. But you live on the same St. as me. And we live on a street called, I don't know, Woodward St. OK. And I tell you, I want you to go down to #32 of Woodward St. and I want you to take this parcel there. I ask you that on Monday. Then Tuesday comes. Have you taken the parcel? I say to you? Oh, no, Joe, I'm sorry. I forgot. OK. Please. We make sure you take it today.
Yes, I'll do that, Joe. Wednesday comes. Have you taken the parcel yet? No, no, no, I forgot. A week later, I see you again. Have you taken the parcel? No, I forgot. A month? Two months. Have you given the parcel to 32 Woodward St. No, I've forgotten. Joe, eventually. Am I going to keep on asking you to do that, or am I just going to do it myself?
I'll give up, won't I? And I believe one of the reasons why when people write to me so often, why is it that when I go to church I don't receive anything anymore from the Lord? Why is it when I read my Bible, I don't feel like God's speaking to me anymore? I believe the reason for some people is because God has been speaking to them so clearly on such simple things for so long that no longer he can trust you
with great things. I don't know your situation, but perhaps there's an ongoing sin, and for such a long time the Lord said, lay it aside for me. Repent, turn away from it, please do it today. And you've constantly, constantly kept shushing the voice of God inside of your spirit, even though you know you should leave it. Perhaps for many years you've known the Lord God has been urging you to be obedient to His Great Commission. Go out into all the world and preach the gospel.
Go out to make disciples of all nations. And yet you have quietened the voice of God, and you still are not doing evangelism. Perhaps you know that you've been hoarding money up for yourself, and you know the Lord has laid it on your heart to give to those less fortunate than you. You know that the Lord is wanting you to give to that country. He's church in another place of the world, maybe South Africa, maybe Armenia. And he's saying give.
And yet you've refused to listen to the voice of God. Well, God will only knock for so long and eventually he'll stop and he'll stop speaking into your life. And so I'm asking you right now today, if you know there is something which right now, as I'm speaking, the Lord God has laid his finger on your life and says it's time that you started listening to me again on this issue. Please heed his voice right now that he might be able to trust
you with bigger things. You remember Joseph in the Bible. Joseph was trustworthy with the Lord when he was in prison, when he couldn't see any hope. And yet the Lord entrusted him into bigger things to become the second most powerful man in all of Egypt. David, you remember, David was entrusted with a rather mundane job, really looking after sheep. Very humble beginnings. And yet God took David and made him into the finest king this world has ever seen. Apart from Jesus, of course.
And then do you remember Roof in the Bible? Little Roof the widow. And yet she was loyal. She was trustworthy to her mother-in-law and stayed with her. And then the Lord God entrusted her with one of the most beautiful marriages in history. And from that marriage and from Ruth's lineage came the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you see that pattern? And you might be entrusted with pouring coffee or driving a taxi or doing farm work, and perhaps you will never do anything more
than that. But I'll tell you something. God will entrust you with His peace, with His joy, which those rich kids in Hollywood know nothing about. And there's one thing I know even more than that. If you are faithful in that little today, whatever God has placed in your life, He will give you something greater in his Kingdom. Why? Because the first will be last, Jesus said. But the last will be first. Now just suppose you're doing
all of that. Suppose you are being obedient to the Lord God. You're doing evangelism. You're listening to His voice, but you still feel disconnected from the Lord God. What would I say to you? Well, when I feel distant, I have a sort of method that I follow. If you want to hear all about that, please click this video here. And if you found this video in any way helpful, please would you do a favour for me, please? Would you subscribe?
I'd love to see you again. God bless you all and thank you for watching.