You Don't Know What's In It

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I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire.  (Luke 24:32)

“Someone passed me a joint at Lollapalooza.”

That’s what the young man said.  He had gone to the big festival in Chicago to check out the scene. 

“Did you smoke it?”

“No,” he said.  “I don’t know whose mouth had been on that thing.”

Good point.  But I was thinking about a bigger point.  

You don’t know what’s in it.

A stranger hands you something to put in your body.  What’s a good reason not to?

You don’t know what’s in it.

And this is true for so many things in life.  We make decisions based on assumptions and limited knowledge, but so much of the time, we don’t know what’s in it.

Should I go to this school?

Should I take this new job?

Should I move to that other place?

Should I date this other person?

We can do our research.   We can list the pros and cons, but in end, we just don’t know what all is in it.

Think of the young woman sitting in the bar, talking to the cute guy who just handed her a drink.  She doesn’t know what’s in it…what’s in the drink…or what’s in the guy.

This is why we seek to be led by the Holy Spirit in every area of life, because we don’t know what’s in it.  We don’t know what’s around the corner.  We don’t know what the future holds.  We don’t know how our decisions will impact our own life, let alone generations to come.

Jesus told a story, The Parable of the Rich Fool.  His farm was producing tremendous crops, far more than he needed.  What should he do?  He decided to build more barns to store up his crops.  He said to himself, “You have many goods laid up for many years…eat, drink, and be merry!”  

But he didn’t know what was in it.  He didn’t know what was right around the corner.

Luke 12:20 says, “But God said to him, ‘Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be…?’”

The future:  we don’t know what’s in it, but God does.  He can lead us through the mine field of life.  He can give us the wisdom we need.  

Romans 8:14 talks about being led by the Spirit of God.  Galatians 5 talks about being led by the Spirit and walking in the Spirit.  

In John 14:26, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would teach us all things.

Colossians 2:3 says that in God are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

So when the grass looks greener on the other side, be careful.  You don’t know what’s in it. 

When you envy someone else’s life, be careful. You don’t know what’s in it. 

When you wish you could win the lottery, be careful. You don’t know what’s in it. 

So we pray.  We seek God diligently.  We study what Jesus said.  We find wisdom in many counselors.  We walk circumspectly.

Because like that peaceful-looking jungle you drive by on vacation…

Like the serene water around your boat in the ocean…

Like the joint you get handed at Lollapalooza. 

You don’t know what’s in it. 

But God does.  

And He will lead us as we surrender to Him.

May God bless you today.

I’m Doug Apple.