Proverbs Chapter 10: verse 28 (NIV-UK)
The prospect of the righteous is joy,
but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.
Hebrews Chapter 12: Verse 2(NIV-UK)
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Talking about someone’s prospects might at times feel a little old-fashioned. It might have been used in the past at school parents’ nights or in report cards, to describe how things might pan out for the pupil concerned in their future. If someone was said to have good prospects, there would be an expectation that the youngster would do well in the future, whereas someone thought to have poor prospects was not expected to achieve much. When considering a career, we might look at the prospects that it holds for promotion or for security and stability and base our decision on what these are. Prospects are the likelihood of something happening in the future.
Therefore, this proverb encourages us to remember that in being righteous, which in its simplest form means doing what is right in God’s eyes, we have the prospect of joy. In the same way that someone might look ahead to see how they might ensure that their prospects come to fruition, then we need to fix our eyes on what lies ahead for us in our spiritual life – the completion of the race as Paul put it.
And the only way to fulfil our prospects is to fix our eyes on Jesus and do as He did. He endured the cross for the joy that would come as a result of His sacrifice – our reconciliation. We may have a hard road to travel at times but we never travel it alone, and our prospects are looking great.
Dear Lord,
I realise that my prospects only look great because of what Jesus has done, not what I may, or may not achieve in my own strength. I am humbled that Jesus felt that His sacrifice was worth my reconciliation. Because of Jesus, I never need to be anxious about my prospects, providing I keep my eyes on Him. Thank You. Amen.