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Predicting the future is often no more than guesswork. Many things that
have been foretold with confidence later seem like nonsense.
In 1900, a writer in “The New York Times” predicted that the coming of
automobiles would solve the parking problem since a car takes up less
curbside space than a horse and buggy.
In 1943, Thomas J. Watson, president of IBM, declared, “I think there’s
a market for about five computers.
In 1946, Daryl F. Zanuck, CEO of 20th Century Fox, boldly stated, “TV
won’t be able to hold onto any market it captures after the first six
months. People will soon grow tired of staring at a plywood box every
night.”
An article in “Business Week” in 1958 said, “With over 50 foreign cars
already on sale here, the Japanese auto industry isn’t likely to carve
out a big slice of the U.S. market for itself.”
Thirty years ago there were predictions that the American worker would
soon be working four day, 32 hour work weeks. Social scientists worried
that we would have too much leisure time!
When I was a senior in high school in 1964, our class play was based on
the novel “1984”. We wondered if “Big Brother” would wait 20 years
before appearing, or if he might even dare to take over the world before
1984 had come and gone. We couldn’t imagine that instead of taking over
the world, communism would be a discredited ideology just ten years
after the year our play had predicted a totalitarian government would
rule the world.
Most predictions from self-proclaimed “prophets” are general enough that
they can later claim that some of their predictions came true. Perhaps
we would have a lot less predictions if our society treated future
tellers like the Israelites did at times. If their specific prophecy
came true, they were given more credence. If it did not, the prophet
was killed.
The fact is, we don’t have a very good idea of what the future will
bring. The Book of Ecclesiastes says, “Since no man knows the future,
who can tell him what is to come?” (Ecclesiastes 8:7)
The Apostle James wrote, “You do not even know what will happen
tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little
while and then vanishes.” (James 4:14)
Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about
itself.” He tells us that instead of worrying about the future we
should “seek first his kingdom and righteousness.” (Matthew 6:33-34)
Undoubtedly, we will all have some unexpected surprises in the future.
Some will be delightful; others may be very sad. When we place our hand
in Christ’s, He does not promise to go before us and make the future a
bed of roses. Instead, He promises to be with us regardless of what the
future holds.
Paul Jetter, Upper Valley Community Church |
