Looking Forward

Editorial by Seán Robinson

Some years ago, I picked up a travel book titled 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. This best-seller describes a myriad of amazing places to visit around the globe far beyond the Seven Wonders of the World. While I had already been to some places, others beckoned me with the lure of the exotic and the unknown. As my “bucket list” expanded, I found myself looking forward to new adventures.

The Bible provides many instances of the importance of looking forward and planning for the future. Genesis 26 describes a time when famine hit the land of Canaan. Isaac was a farmer who depended on reaping a harvest when he planted his crops, but in spite of the famine, God told him not to relocate to Egypt. Genesis 26:12 says Isaac harvested more than 100 times what he had planted. In fact, God blessed Isaac somuch that his jealous Philistine neighbors eventually forced him out into the countryside where God continued to bless him.

Our greatest hope is in the second coming of Jesus Christ. How will you prioritize your assets to carry out God’s plan to share the gospel message? What will you use to encourage others to look forward to Jesus’ return? If you invest your resources just as a farmer sows seed, God promises that you will always be blessed with a harvest. Beyond material things, what greater blessing could there be than seeing lives transformed by the gospel? Planting for the future by using our assets provides eternal blessings. Why not covenant daily to be a faithful steward and plant liberally for God’s kingdom?

Seán Robinson is the Trust Services and Planned Giving director for the Chesapeake Conference