Jeremiah 48:7
“For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together.”
Jeremiah 48 is the prophecy of God’s judgment against Moab. Moab was known for the fortresses it built, and they were confident that their works from the past would secure their future, but they forgot to realize that present actions are what secure your future. Though they were strong enough in the past to build these great fortresses, their actions in the present were defiled because of their worship of Chemosh, the fish god.
Moab thought their past works were good enough to secure their future. They thought their riches and wealth would keep them from facing God’s judgment. They thought they could use their influence they achieved from the past and the wealth they had accomplished to keep Babylon from coming and taking them into captivity. Yet, like most people eventually come to realize, what you do in the present is truly the only thing that dictates your future. Moab was captured and taken into captivity all because they didn’t secure their future today.
Friend, your future is secured by today’s actions. What you did yesterday does not guarantee a great future tomorrow. Your present actions are the measuring stick God uses to dictate your future. Many people have relied on what they did yesterday to measure their Christianity today, only to realize that they were wrong. If you want a blessed future tomorrow, then you had better live and do right today.
Many churches live in the past of what God used to do through them only to hurt their future. I have sat in auditoriums that used to be filled with old-paths preaching, souls getting saved and lives being changed that now are relatively empty with the memories of the past as the only works of God they have to talk about. How sad! They trusted in the works of their past and that is what destroyed them.
There are many men of God who talk about God doing something through them in the past, but they have no works to talk about today. Their greatness is not in what they are doing now, but what they did yesterday, only to continually see their future slip away.
Many Christians live in the works of yesterday and talk about what they used to do thinking that is good enough to get them through life. They talk of how they used to fill bus routes and build Sunday school classes, but they do nothing now other than talk about their past. What these Christians don’t realize is that their present is what secures their spiritual influence tomorrow.
Are you trusting in your past works to secure your future spirituality? Your past cannot secure a spiritual future. Your financial stability cannot buy you spirituality. The present works are the only indicator of what your future will hold. I encourage you not to fall into the trap that Moab did by looking at your past or financial status and do something for God today. Start studying your Bible today like your future depends upon it. Start praying today like your future depends upon it. Start surrendering daily to God like your future depends upon it. Start fighting your sins today like your future depends upon it. Truly your future does depend upon what you do today. Your past can only give you what you have today, but what you do today will dictate what you will be in the future. What do your present actions say about your future?