Sheryl Brady - A Certain God In An Uncertain Season

I want you to look to your neighbor on the right and say, «Neighbor, you’ve got a certain God; you’ve got a certain God even in an uncertain season.» Now turn to your other neighbor and say, «Neighbor, you’ve got a certain God even in an uncertain season.» Holy Spirit, have Your way today. Say whatever it is that You want said. I pray, God, that You will help me yield the floor to You. Have Your way in here; speak to every heart, speak to the heart of every man, every woman, every leader, every student. Speak to us today. We will praise You in Jesus’s name. Somebody shout «Amen!» Amen! On your way down, just tell your neighbor, «You have a certain God even in an uncertain season.»

As human beings, there’s something about us that creates an unquenchable thirst to know the future. We just want to know what’s coming next; that’s why a lot of people are attracted to prophetic individuals—those who have a calling on their lives as prophets. There is something about this that attracts people because many will do anything necessary, within reason, to know what is happening next. Some of us don’t want to know everything that is coming, but many want to know at least where, Lord, am I going to put my foot next? Some people will even go to extremes, reaching beyond the church to consult psychics, and they feel the need to check their horoscopes every day. Well, you can go ahead and check yours; I don’t need a horoscope—I have a God! I said I have a God! I don’t want to dabble in things I shouldn’t be dabbling in. People have spent a lot of money over the years on things like palm readers, fortune tellers, and crystal balls. You know, astrology—I don’t know if you all remember a lady from back in the day named Miss Cleo. Miss Cleo needs Jesus!

Though predicting the future has been big business, at the end of the day, none of that really works because nobody knows what the future holds but God. Now, I’m not against looking at trends; I’m not against observing culture in America to see how it’s moving. I’m not against analyzing the economic forecast; we should do all of those things. It is good to consider where your money is going or pay attention to those matters. But we must never forget that even the best predictions are merely educated guesses because nobody really knows what tomorrow holds except for the One who holds tomorrow—and that is our Savior! Aren’t you glad you know Him on a first-name basis?

Someone may be asking, «How do I face tomorrow if I don’t know what it has for me? If I don’t know what tomorrow may throw in my face, how do I face the future when I have no clue about what I might be facing?» In Ecclesiastes 8:7, Solomon, the wisest man, writes, «Since no man knows the future, who can tell him what is to come?» How can you face what you don’t know is coming? How can you be forewarned if you haven’t been forearmed? What if this happens, and what if that doesn’t happen? What if this occurs, and what if that occurs? It’s those tiny two-letter words that form the word «if» that lead people into so much unsettledness. What if? See, there are a lot of «ifs» in life. In fact, you cannot even spell the word «life» without the letters «if» being right smack dab in the middle of it.

We all have to deal with the «ifs» of life. In chapter one, Joshua answers the question that is really being asked in Ecclesiastes. Joshua 1 tells us three things, and I want you to write these down. He tells us three things that we are not to do when it comes to facing the insecurities of tomorrow. Number one, he said, «Don’t be presumptuous about tomorrow.» Some of you need to write this down because I’m speaking to you prophetically about the days that lie ahead. Number two, «Don’t panic about tomorrow,» and number three, «Don’t procrastinate regarding your tomorrows.» Those three things are very clear in scripture: don’t be presumptuous about tomorrow, don’t panic about tomorrow, and don’t procrastinate until tomorrow.

Let’s look at that first one: «Don’t be presumptuous about your tomorrows.» Proverbs 27:1 says, «Do not boast about tomorrow, for you don’t even know what a day may bring forth.» This does not mean we shouldn’t prepare for tomorrow. So, Pastor Brady, are you saying I shouldn’t lay my clothes out the night before? Absolutely not! Lay your clothes out if that helps you with your time management. But it does mean that we should not be boasting or arrogant about tomorrow. I remember a little phrase my mother used when people would ask her, «Are you going to…?»