“It’s just so hard. I don’t know what to do. How do I know if I’m making the right decision? What do I do if I feel I have no choice? What if I make the wrong decision?”

Things are hard right now. The questions above may be ones that you’ve heard from parents as they try to make decisions for their children. They might be questions that you have considered. “Do we open or is it better to remain closed?” “Will we meet in person or virtually or a mix of both?” “How do I know if I have the best information to make decisions?” “When can we get back to normal-whatever that is?”

Wouldn’t it be great if our decisions, especially the really hard ones, had a clear answer? Wouldn’t it be great to be able to have a Zoom meeting with God to discuss our concerns and our plans?

God has made so many promises to us. He promised to lead the people of Israel back to the Promised Land of Canaan and he did. He promised that Abraham’s family would be a direct line to the promised Savior. He kept that promise in Abraham and Sarah’s old age. He promised to save Noah and his family, and that promise was kept in a miraculous way. He promised to send a Savior and fulfilled that promise in Jesus. He promised that through Jesus, every one of our sins would be marked paid in full. He promised to be with us in all things. He has kept that promise and continues to do so.

One thing he did not promise is that our lives would be without challenge and suffering. In fact, he states that there will be suffering. But along with that suffering are his promises. He promises to be with us. He promises that he will bless our efforts to share his Word. He promises that even though we continue to sin, can be tempted by fear or doubt, his forgiveness is ours. Our confidence and peace are in that forgiveness and in his promises. All of those struggles that we face, all those questions we wrestle with, are nothing compared to what he has prepared for us in heaven. We don’t need a Zoom meeting, we can look in his Word. There God reminds us that all that we are experiencing is just temporary. He reminds us that our place in heaven is already set and ready and filled with glories that we can’t imagine with our limited understanding. And because of those promises, we can face our challenges knowing that he is with us. While we don’t know when each of us will join God in heaven, we can live each day with joy and confidence that heaven is ours.